More than Bargained For
by Writer-at-Heart0
Summary: After a devastating terror attack in London, a little girl loses her only living parent and gains a new father. Evelyn Johnson never knew her father was Tony Stark but now they would start their life together. With a legal battle against a grieving grandmother, the race against HYDRA, and the challenges of becoming a new family, Tony and Evelyn begin to grow as father and daughter.
1. Prologue

More than Bargained For

By: Writer-at-Heart0

Hello! This is going to be one of my first multi-chaptered stories. I'm looking forward to the adventure. I know the plot has been explored before, but I just had an idea I needed to get out of my head and share. I hope you enjoy it!

In addition, this is NOT _Avengers: Endgame_ compliant. This story was started long before _Avengers: Endgame_ even had trailers released. Therefore, I do not anticipate having any spoilers contained within the story.

I hope you enjoy 'More than Bargained For.' Please leave a review!

**Prologue **

"Evelyn, are you ready for school?" As her mother's voice washed over her, Evelyn finished putting her bowl in the dishwasher and grabbed her backpack. She sprinted to the living room where her mother was adjusting her make-up.

"Yes mama." Evelyn grinned as her mother bent down and kissed her on the cheek. Evelyn's mother was careful to not smear her make-up on Evelyn's olive-toned cheek. "You look pretty today! Are you going on a photo shoot?"

Evelyn's mother, Elise Johnson, was a prominent model in England, one of the highest paid models in the country. Evelyn could always tell when her mother was going on a photo shoot because she would look extra beautiful: make-up more bold, blonde hair expertly styled, and impeccable clothes hugging her mother's frame tightly. Usually her mom chose to be comfortable in jeans and slouchy t-shirts, but when it came to work, Evelyn's mom always looked the part.

Elise grinned and ruffled Evelyn's dark brown hair, "Now how did you know mommy had work today?"

Evelyn flashed Elise a mischievous grin, and for a moment, Evelyn looked exactly like her father. "I can tell because you only wear your really expensive clothes on work days, or banquets. And banquets are at night, so I figured this must be a photo shoot day."

Elise smiled fondly and knelt down and opened her arms for a hug. Evelyn was getting smarter every day, and with her eighth birthday approaching, Elise new that Evelyn would be eagerly asking about her father, just as she did every birthday. "Well sweetie, you are exactly right! Now how about we get you to school, and after I pick you up this afternoon, we go get ice cream?"

Evelyn's eyes lit up and she kissed her mother on the cheek. "I'd like that very much mama! Are you ready to go?"

Elise nodded and picked up her purse. She took Evelyn's hand, and the two disembarked for the school down the road. Evelyn babbled on to Elise about the field trip her school would be taking next week, and Elise smiled as Evelyn pointed to the changing fall leaves. Evelyn was the light of Elise's world, and she would not trade her for anything else—as long as she had her little girl, life would always be bright for Elise. As she and Evelyn approached the door to the school, Evelyn gave her mother a big hug.

"Bye Mommy! I hope you have a good day and take lots of pretty photos! I love you!" Evelyn's voice was loud and proud, and she had a face-splitting smile upon her face.

Elise knelt down once again and engulfed Evelyn in a large hug. "And I love you my little Evie. Have a good day, I can't wait to hear all about it over ice cream. I'll see you after school, okay?" At Evelyn's nod, Elise kissed her daughter's forehead and stood.

Little did Evelyn know that that would be the last hug she ever received from her mother.


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

Tony Stark sat with the other Avengers around the dining room table, eating lunch. They had all just returned from a mission the day before and were enjoying a day off. So far, Bruce and Tony had once again been holed up in the lab, working on upgrades to Natasha and Clint's uniforms to protect them from stray bullets and debris.

Natasha and Clint, who had received minor injuries due to bullets tearing through their uniforms, had been mainly sitting in the living room, alternating between watching tv and playing chess. Thor, who was confused by this so called "chess," took it upon himself to sit and watch. He valiantly cheered for the king to take down opponents, only to be confused when Clint explained that the king did not have significant power in the game.

Steve had been his usual leader self, walking around and checking on his teammates. He would bring Clint and Natasha water, and he would make sure Bruce and Tony had plenty of coffee. He himself was fine and had sustained no injuries, but he wanted to make sure his team was well taken care of. At 11:30, he had made lunch and demanded everyone eat together. It took some convincing for the scientists in the lab, but they finally agreed in order to appease Steve.

"I still do not understand. How can the king, such a mighty individual, be so powerless?" Thor looked sullen as he ate his lunch.

Tony raised an eyebrow as Clint sighed. "It's just how the game works Thor. We don't question the power of the pieces, we just do what the rules say."

Tony and Bruce looked confused until Natasha stage whispered, "Thor is concerned with the lack of power the king in chess possesses."

Tony cracked a smirk while Bruce shook his head and chuckled. "How long has this discussion been going on?"

Clint looked at his watch. "This is hour 2 and 23 minutes and 4 seconds."

Thor suddenly slammed his hand down. "Perhaps we should make a new chess game! The kind shall have the same powers as the queen, and they both shall rule equally in the game. Natasha, does this not align with what you call feminism?"

Tony snorted an uncontrolled laugh at Natasha's blank stare, contemplating whether to flip Thor over the table or poison his food. Thor, however, was oblivious, and he just smiled a large, proud smile for his solution. The other Avengers were infected by Tony's laugh and Thor's enthusiasm. Soon, they were all laughing and it felt like they were a normal group of friends.

Until JARVIS came over the intercom.

"Sir, there has been a terror attack in London. Director Fury is on the line." JARVIS flashed up a newscast of a smoking subway entrance in London, people were streaming away like ants, fleeing the scene. Another screen popped up showing Director Fury's face.

The Director spoke in his normal clipped tone, "Avengers, there has been an attack in London. I want you to suit up and head over there."

"With all due respect sir, this is more of a national security issue and garners foreign policy response. The Avengers deal with weird stuff. This is mostly normal." Bruce was calm and respectful, but it was clear by his words that Bruce did not want to interfere in London's affairs. The media nightmare that would arise from the Avengers interfering with world foreign policy would be tough even for Tony to smooth over.

Fury glared with his one eye at the group. "I need you to extract someone from London."

The Avengers sat up straighter. Extraction? Of who? Why? Was an agent compromised? But why have Earth's mightiest heroes handle something any standard SHIELD agent could handle?

"Who?" Natasha's voice brought the group out of their own minds. Fury frowned before looking off screen and holding up a picture. The picture showed a brunette little girl with curly pig tails wearing a blue school uniform. She had a wide smile with sparkling brown eyes and two missing teeth.

"This is Evelyn Johnson, age 7. She is of interest to SHIELD because we've been tracking her since she was five. Her intelligence is off the charts for a seven year old, and we believe the group behind the terror attack wants to kidnap her."

"Why have you been keeping tabs on a child?" Clint asked, studying the picture intently. He appeared to be memorizing every detail in preparation for the mission.

Fury glared at Clint. "That's classified." Tony raised an eyebrow before discreetly pulling out his phone. While pretending to pay attention to Eye-Patch, he hacked into SHIELD. He was pulling up the girl's information when Fury yelled at him.

"Stark, get out of my systems!" Fury turned off screen and wild tapping could be heard. The other Avengers turned to Tony and watched as he threw the girl's information up on the screen.

Her intelligence was measured and was indeed off the charts—she was a child genius. She was set to skip a few grades after finishing first grade. Her mother was Elise Johnson, a model in England. There was no mention of a father, and no scan of a birth certificate. There was, however, a file that said a few underground organizations had been tracking the girl in addition to SHIELD, attempting multiple times to kidnap her for her intelligence.

"You've been protecting her," Steve deduced aloud as Fury gave up on trying to keep Tony out. "But why?"

Fury opened his mouth only for Tony's phone to start ringing, an unknown number on the screen. He looked confused before answering.

"You've reached Tony Stark, for future calls please be sure to go through Pepper Potts. My business hours-"

"Mr. Stark, this is Sarah Welch of Child Protective Services in London, England." The cool professional voice of a woman flooded Tony's ears and he furrowed his brow in confusion. "I'm contacting you about Evelyn Johnson."

Tony for once cut the snark. "I'm sorry, I believe you have the wrong number. I don't have any relation or information on Evelyn Johnson." The other Avengers and Fury raised their eyebrows, though Fury looked as though he was forcing his confusion.

The woman on the other end of the line waited a beat before he heard the shuffling of papers. "Mr. Stark, do you recall the night of December 31, 2004?"

Tony frowned. That was specific. "I can't say that I do. That was a long time ago."

"Do you remember Elise Johnson, a supermodel at your New Year's Eve party?"

Tony again answered 'no' knowing for sure that at that time in his life he would have been too drunk to remember anyone that attended his parties, but he began to connect the dots. And then Ms. Welch confirmed them.

"Sir, on September 22, 2005, Elise Johnson gave birth to Evelyn Johnson. According to the birth certificate we have, you are listed as the father. Furthermore, Elise has written in her will that should something happen to her, Evelyn would be turned over to your care. It is with great sadness that I tell you Elise Johnson was killed in the subway explosion earlier today. She had been on her way to pick Evelyn up from school. We have her in my office now."

Tony had stopped listening after the word "father." He looked at the other Avengers before glaring at Fury. "Thank you ma'am. Give me time to get to London."

"Thank you Mr. Stark. Is there anything I should tell Evelyn?"

Tony sighed. "Tell her the truth to the best of your ability. Thank you, goodbye." He hung up the phone before returning his glare full force at Fury. "You knew."

"He knew what?" Steve asked, hoping to distract Tony from engaging in a screaming match with Fury.

Fury cut in hastily, wanting to deliver the news before Tony could. "Evelyn Johnson is Stark's daughter."

The Avengers were silent as the revelation settled over them. The looked to the picture JARVIS had projected. When they looked hard, they saw the similarities. The hair, the dark eyes with the mischievous glint. But they saw the soft curve of her face and rosy-cheeked complexion of a woman they did not know.

Clint spoke up first. "But she should be fine with her mother. We can't just sweep in and take her away."

Tony shook his head sadly. "Elise, her mother, was killed in the explosion. She had been on her way to pick Evelyn up from school."

A long pregnant silence settled over the team. It was horrifying that something so awful could happen to such a young child, especially one that looked as happy as Evelyn in the picture. It was a while before Tony spoke again.

"Elise had me in her will to continue Evelyn's care should anything happen to her." Tony stood up and looked at his team, his friends, conveying a new sense of purpose. "Let's go get her."

The other Avengers sprang to their feet and minutes later they were in the Quinjet headed to Tony's private plane. The team was in for a long ride.


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

Evelyn sat in the white office looking blankly at the wall. She had been brought here after school and they told her it was because of the terrorist attack in the subway. Evelyn felt that this was only part of the truth, especially when she had been prevented from contacting her mom. Evelyn had insisted that she should call and make sure she was still out on the photo shoot, or perhaps held up at the office because the city was on lockdown. But no one seemed her hear her.

Evelyn was smart, and she could feel that there was more not being told to her. She narrowed her eyes and made a decision to go demand answers. She was a big girl, almost eight years old, she deserved to have all of the information. Evelyn hopped down from the uncomfortable plastic chair she was sitting in and pushed open the door to the main office. She saw Ms. Sarah, the woman who had been watching over her, sitting at a desk on the phone. Evelyn walked over as Ms. Sarah was hanging up the phone.

"Ms. Sarah, I would like some answers." Evelyn's voice was steady and confident yet a bit high. She crossed her arms defiantly over her chest and held her head high, "I will not settle for childish half-truths. I'm a big girl and I'm smart enough to comprehend the real, adult truth. And I won't take 'no' for an answer."

Sarah Welch smiled sadly at the child and raised an inquisitive eyebrow. Evelyn continued to stare until the older woman finally nodded, "How about we go sit down somewhere more private and I can give you those answers? Adult discussions happen in private, you know."

Evelyn looked cautiously at Ms. Sarah, wondering if she would actually give Evelyn the full truth. But she decided to trust the woman who had been watching over her and nodded. She uncrossed her arms and followed Ms. Sarah back to the room she had been in. She climbed back into the chair she had been occupying and watched as Ms. Sarah sat in the chair next to her.

"Now, you already know about the terrorist attack that happened earlier today, right?" Evelyn nodded. "And you also know that many people have died and that the city transportation has been halted temporarily."

"That's why my mommy isn't here. She's stuck in her office." Evelyn stated, not noticing how Ms. Sarah stiffened. "Do you know when she is going to come pick me up?"

Ms. Sarah folded her hands carefully in her lap. "We've called your father to come pick you up. But he has to travel all the way from America, so it may take him time to get here."

Evelyn felt like her world was spinning. Her father? Evelyn didn't know much about her father, except that he didn't know about her. Evelyn could hear her mother's voice in her head, "_You're father was an intelligent, kind man. He had a hard life, but I know that he would have loved you. I didn't tell him about you because he was busy and his life isn't easy like ours. But I have no doubt he would have loved you—you look just like him my little Evie."_

Evelyn opened her mouth and closed it again before settling on something to say. "But he doesn't know about me. Mommy said she wanted to make his life easy because it was hard."

Ms. Sarah smiled kindly, making Evelyn relax a fraction. "Well he knows now, and he is on his way. He's going to be taking care of you."

Evelyn's eyes widened at Ms. Sarah's words. A smile stretched across her small face and she began babbling quickly, "A whole day with my daddy? I've never met him before! This is going to be fun! Maybe he and mommy can be a family now! That would be lovely." Ms. Sarah shook her head sadly at Evelyn's excited words, halting the child instantly. As quickly as the excited energy had entered, it disappeared. "What is it Ms. Sarah? You promised to be truthful."

Ms. Sarah sighed deeply and braced herself. As a social worker, she'd had to deliver hard news, and this time was no different. "Evelyn, your mommy was in the subway when the terrorist attack happened. She is having your father come and get you because she had it written that if anything happened to her, he would take care of you."

Evelyn was processing the words, making connections, trying to figure out what Ms. Sarah meant. _So maybe she is going to be in the hospital for a few months and can't take care of me. That's fine. _"But I'll be able to see her when she's out of the hospital." Evelyn's stomach flipped and twisted as Ms. Sarah continued to stare at her.

Ms. Sarah shook her head sadly, reaching out and gripping Evelyn's hands. Evelyn felt the ice in Ms. Sarah's hands, as well as a bit of sweat. She frowned before Ms. Sarah said the worst thing Evelyn would ever hear, "Evelyn, your mother did not make it. She passed away. I'm sorry, sweetheart."

As the jet landed in London, Tony felt a certain level of panic fill his chest. He was meeting his daughter for the first time. A daughter he did not know about from a woman he could not remember. He felt his chest constrict painfully as he realized that he had not supported Elise, and his stomach dropped as he realized that he did not even know about his daughter's existence. His panic must have showed on his face because Bruce laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"It wasn't your fault. You were a different man then, and now you're doing the right thing. And Elise must have believed you would be the right choice for Evelyn because she had it made so that you would take care of her." Bruce gave a small, sad smile. "While we would all agree that the circumstances are beyond heartbreaking, I know it'll turn out fine."

Tony nodded mutely before stepping off the plane, leading his team to a waiting car that would take them to the Office of Child Protective Services. He was uncharacteristically quiet, but no one said anything about it. They all looked solemn, but there was also a bit of excitement from the team. Despite the panic, this would be a new era for the team, and it would be a positive one.

"How much does anyone want to bet she's snarky?" Clint said with amusement in his voice. "Usually I would say sarcasm is a product of environment, but I think for Starks it's genetic."

The team smiled at Clint's antics before Steve spoke, "I don't want to take that bet."

Tony himself chuckled as the mood lightened, but as soon as the car stopped in front of the building the panic returned. The team exited the car and stood in front of the doors. Tony looked hesitantly at the entrance before once again a comforting hand landed on his shoulder. "We'll wait here for you, that way she isn't overwhelmed. It'll be fine."

Tony nodded at Steve's words before squaring his shoulders and walking into the building. There was a reception desk to the left with a sprawling office space filled with cubicles marching off to the right. There were doors littered around the back wall, and a large open space at the right wall that looked to be a play room designed for younger kids. Tony approached the reception desk.

"I'm Tony Stark, I received a call from a Sarah Welch regarding Evelyn Johnson."

The receptionist smiled. "Yes sir, give me one moment to let Ms. Welch know you are here. Can I get you anything in the mean time?" At Tony's head shake, the receptionist grabbed the headset of her phone and called Sarah Welch. "Ms. Welch, Tony Stark has arrived…yes ma'am…thank you."

A moment later a petite red head with striking green eyes came around the corner in a skirt suit. She held herself tall and professional, which reminded Tony of Pepper, but she also offered a compassionate smile to Tony. "Mr. Stark, I'm Sarah Welch. Nice to finally meet you." She held out her hand for Tony, which he shook quickly. "I have already talked to Evelyn about her mother's passing. She is currently sleeping. I have already had the authorities, per Elise's will, pack Evelyn's things."

Tony was following Ms. Welch to a back room where she opened the door quietly. Sprawled across two plastic chairs was a little girl with long brown hair, her school uniform rumpled from sleep. "Elise has everything in London taken care of, so you do not need to handle her assets. All the will asks is for you to officially sign the papers here taking Evelyn into your permanent custody." Tony vaguely heard the words Sarah was speaking, but he was enraptured by the little girl.

Her hair was thick and wavy, like his, and was wild around her head. She was still in a blue plaid skirt and white button up shirt from school. She'd kicked her shoes off by her backpack and had curled into a little ball. Her face was peaceful, and Tony had a memory flash behind his eyes as it resembled Elise's all those years ago. He looked at Sarah again before speaking. "I'll sign whatever you want me to sign. Will I be able to leave with her immediately?"

Sarah nodded. "You will. She already has a passport, and we received an emergency visa for adoption. She was quite distraught at the death of her mother, and cried herself to sleep after I'd gotten off the phone with you. But she did not exhibit signs of anger or hatred towards you, which happens quite a lot with children in her situation, so that is good. It should make her transition easier for the both of you."

Tony nodded. "Let me sign the papers before we wake her up. I imagine she wants to go…" Tony hesitated, realizing that his life was really changing, "home." Sarah smiled knowingly at Tony and walked to a small table in the room, flipping open a manila folder. She produced a pen from her suit jacket pocket and held it out expectantly to Tony.

Tony signed away and just like that, he was a father. He didn't feel any different in that moment; he'd signed plenty of papers in his life. But he hoped that once he'd spent time with Evelyn the paternal feelings would flood into his system. He watched Sarah quietly and gently wake up Evelyn. A snake of nervousness coiled around Tony's stomach as the little girl began to wake.

"Evelyn, it's Ms. Sarah. Your father is here." Evelyn sat up groggily and rubbed her eyes, a huge yawn racking her body. She opened her eyes and spotted Tony standing near the table. She cocked her head to the side, her familiar brown eyes boring into his. Then realization spread across the young girl's face.

"You're Tony Stark!" Her voice, tinged with a British accent, held no malice, but instead amazement. "Which means you're Iron Man!"

Tony chuckled, stepping further into the room. "That's me, the one and only, kid." Evelyn smiled kindly back at Tony before another awestruck expression crossed her face, jaw dropping and eyes widening.

"Iron Man is my daddy? Mommy never told me that!" Evelyn's excitement died at the mention of her mother. She frowned. "She told me she would tell me about you when I was older. And now she won't get the chance too."

Tony felt his heart clench at the tears pooling in the little girl's eyes. He hadn't even had the time to get to know her, but he felt a bond, a bond he knew only came with being a father, the moment they'd locked eyes. Was this how all fathers felt when they met their child for the first time? Has his father ever had this feeling, the feeling that he would do anything for his kid, no matter the consequences? It was such an overwhelming, all-encompassing feeling that Tony was worried by just how much _emotion_ he was feeling.

He walked over to her and sat down in the chair next to Evelyn. She looked at him cautiously, but not fearfully, before wrapping her arms around his waist. He reciprocated the action by wrapping an arm around her shoulders, "It's okay, Evelyn. I know it's hard, and that it hurts." He squeezed her tightly, running a gentle hand through her hair. "My mom died too, when I was a teenager. And it's been a long time since then, so I can tell you now that it'll get better."

Evelyn looked up at Tony, sniffling quietly, "How did it get better?"

Despite Obadiah's eventual betrayal, he had been there for Tony when his parents had died. And it was similar to this situation—someone had stepped into his life to help him move on. "I had someone become a sort of step-dad to me. He protected me and did everything my mother and father would have done if they hadn't died. And that's what I'm going to do for you."

Evelyn wiped her tears away. "Really?"

The hope embedded in such a simple word made Tony's heart flutter. He smiled a large, genuine smile, the one usually reserved for Pepper. "Really."

Sarah took this opportunity to break into the moment. "Mr. Stark, we're all set to go on our end. I've faxed a copy of the documents you signed, as well as a copy of Elise's will, to your lawyers. You're free to go. You can call us if you have any questions." Tony nodded gratefully to Sarah before standing up, Evelyn still in his arms. "I've already had her possessions loaded into your car. Your friends are eagerly awaiting you outside."

Evelyn grinned and looked at Tony. "The Avengers?" Tony winked and she squealed quietly. He picked up her backpack and shoes and headed out of the building. He gave a quiet 'thank you' to Sarah before he walked outside to see the Avengers still standing where he left them.

The Avengers looked at Evelyn, her arms wrapped around Tony's neck and eyes wide as dish plates. She smiled shyly and hid her head in Tony's neck. "Evelyn, would you like to meet the Avengers?" She nodded and Tony pointed to each of them. "That's Thor, he's the one that has the hammer. And that is Captain America himself! That is Clint and Natasha. Be wary of Clint, he likes to play hide and seek in the air ducts. And that is Dr. Bruce Banner."

Evelyn looked at each individual in awe before Thor was the first to come forward. "Child of Stark, it is an honor to meet you. May your life be prosperous and well, despite these difficult times." He gave Evelyn a gentle kiss on the cheek, making her giggle.

Tony rolled his eyes teasingly. "Alright Point Break, she's a kid, not a princess."

Evelyn shot her father an outraged look. "I am too a princess!" Tony gave her an incredulous look and she rolled her eyes. "All little girls are princesses Daddy, everyone knows that!"

Tony grinned and hugged Evelyn before moving towards the car. "Well then Princess, we better get you to the castle in New York then, huh?"

Evelyn's eyes lit up as the group got into the car. "You mean Avengers Tower? We're going there? That is so cool!"

The Avengers spent the car ride and flight to New York in silence as Evelyn babbled on about the Avengers being her new family. They all smiled and laughed with her, knowing that this new chapter would be an interesting one.


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

When the Avengers returned to New York, it was very late in the evening. After bringing Evelyn's things up to the Tower, the other Avengers bid goodnight, promising to talk to Evelyn in the morning. She hugged each one before they dispersed despite only knowing them for a few hours; she remembered hugging her mom each night before bed and it felt weird to not hug the adults. But once the others were gone, that left Tony and Evelyn alone in his room. He hadn't had time to set up a bedroom for her, but he would do that tomorrow. Since Pepper would be gone until tomorrow evening on a business trip, Evelyn could sleep in his bed and he would take the couch.

"Alright squirt, let's brush those teeth and get into bed." Tony noticed how tired Evelyn looked now, eyes fluttering every few seconds and her shoulders hunched. She walked limply, almost dragging herself around. The girl was jetlagged and emotionally distressed on top of that; she definitely needed some sleep. He rummaged through her suitcase and pulled out some pajamas and her toothbrush. He left Evelyn in there to get ready for bed. Soon she came out and walked over to Tony's bed.

"Daddy, I miss my mommy." Evelyn hadn't spoken about her mother since leaving London; she'd been too distracted by the Avengers and flying to America. He saw the sad, lost look in Evelyn's eyes now and felt a pang of sadness. He sat down on the bed next to her and began mindlessly tucking her in, fully aware he didn't know if he was doing it correctly.

He spoke softly, his voice as gentle and kind as he could make it, "I know, Princess," Tony tested the nickname, and when she didn't react negatively, he continued, "and I know that I can't do anything to make her come back. But I can help make you not miss her so much. I can get some of her pictures and put them up. And you can always talk to me about her." Tony smoothed her hair as a few tears leaked out of the corners of Evelyn's eyes. "You can cry all that you need. There is nothing saying you need to be brave."

Evelyn nodded before a quiet sob escaped her. "I've never gone to bed without my mommy in the same room or house." The single sob deteriorated into outright heaves of multiple breathless sobs. Tony immediately acted on some unknown instinct, wrapping Evelyn in his arms and rocking her. He felt her tears soaking his shirt, could feel the heat off of her face as she finally released the sorrow within her.

"Shh, it's okay. You can cry. Shh, I'm here. I'll always be here for you." As he rocked Evelyn, she fell asleep, but she had fisted her hands in his shirt. He couldn't lay her down without waking her up. Seeing no other option, Tony laid down with Evelyn on his chest. He kissed her forehead before falling into a peaceful sleep.

Natasha was, as usual, one of the first to wake in the morning, even if it was a little later than normal because of the late night they had. She stretched, arching her back and rolling her shoulders before quickly brushing her teeth and heading to the communal kitchen. She started the coffee and leaned against the counter, gazing at the New York skyline. The sun had risen slightly, peeking between buildings and sparkling along the carpet in the living room. She loved this time of day—everything looked new, fresh, almost untouched.

As the coffee beeped, Natasha caught movement at the end of the hallway. She stopped midway between pouring her cup and stuck her head a little further out to investigate, senses on high alert. She couldn't make anything out and she went into spy mode. She set down her coffee mug and grabbed a knife from the cutting board. She walked on silent feet to the hallway entrance and peeked once again before sighing silently in relief.

Standing at the other end of the hallway, in Tony's doorway, was Evelyn. Her hair was rustled from sleep and her pajamas were crooked, indicating the child had just awoken. She was looking around in confusion, unsure of where to go or what to do. Natasha stepped into the hallway. "Hey Evelyn, are you trying to find the kitchen?"

Evelyn snapped her head to look at Natasha, shock evident in her eyes. The girl studied Natasha before hesitantly shaking her head and answering, "No, I can see it at the end of the hall. I wasn't sure if I was allowed to go in there alone."

Natasha smiled kindly at the child and was rewarded with Evelyn's posture relaxing. "Well I'm in there now, and I'm sure as long as you're with one of us, Tony won't worry. Is he still asleep?"

Evelyn nodded. "I woke up because of this light on his chest. I tried tapping it to turn it off, but it just stayed on. Do you think the batteries are going to run out in it?" Evelyn had approached Natasha as she spoke, her tone ever growing serious.

Natasha chuckled and led Evelyn to the bar at the island. She quickly sheathed the kitchen knife before picking Evelyn up and setting her on the bar stool. "That light is actually his arc reactor. It helps his heart beat."

Evelyn's eyes widened. "Really? What does it do to make his heart beat? Where did he get it? Why does he need one and how come other people don't have one?"

Natasha shifted uncomfortably, not knowing how much she should tell the young girl. "It powers an electromagnet. You should ask Tony about it, I'm sure he could explain it better than me, I'm just a spy."

Evelyn's mouth dropped into a dramatic look of confusion. "But spies are super smart! You have to be different people, do intense physical activity, and be strategic! You have to be multiple types of smart."

"Man, I've never thought of it that way." Clint's voice seemed to filter out of nowhere, but seconds later he dropped from the air duct in the ceiling, startling Evelyn. She squeaked and jumped backwards into the back of her chair. "I'll be sure to quote you when I'm telling your Dad how awesome I am."

Evelyn recovered enough to stutter out, "How did you fit up there?"

Clint placed a hand over his heart in mock hurt, "Are you calling me fat, Ms. Stark?"

"You said it, not me." Evelyn quipped back without missing a laughed at Clint's incredulous look and Evelyn's mischievous, eye crinkling grin.

Soon Bruce, Steve, and Thor joined them. All that was left was Tony, who was still asleep down the hall. It wasn't uncommon for Tony to be the last awake, especially since he was the insomniac of the group. When he did sleep, he slept for a long time and it was nearly impossible to wake him before his body was ready.

Evelyn's stomach finally growled and the five superheroes looked at her and she smiled sheepishly. "Is there anything to eat?"

Thor grinned excitedly before running to a cabinet near the fridge. He reached in a pulled out a box of strawberry Pop-Tarts. "Child of Stark, these are marvelous pastries! You have not had a true Midgardian meal until you have feasted on what are called 'Pop-Tarts.'"

Evelyn giggled as Thor eagerly placed a pack of Pop-Tarts on a napkin for her. He pushed them forward and watched with excitement as Evelyn took a bite, sprinkles and crumbs falling to the counter top. She grinned with bright eyes and crumbs on her chin, "This is really good!"

"Tis the truth! Midgard is truly wondrous with their pastries." Thor looked at his companions. "Today we shall all eat the sweet pastry for breakfast. Feast my friends!"

And that was how a groggy Tony found them. Five of Earth's mightiest heroes gathered around his kitchen island with his daughter eating Pop-Tarts and being overall domestic. He stepped back and gazed at the group, soaking in the moment and feeling of 'this is gonna work,' before he entered and poured some coffee. "Morning; I see Evelyn found the sugary breakfast foods."

Thor came to her defense immediately. "Man of Iron, I simply had to introduce your daughter to Earth's finest culinary invention!"

Tony raised an eyebrow skeptically at Thor before Evelyn broke in. "Daddy, it's delicious! You should have some too, everyone else did!"

The other Avengers gave Tony amused looks, knowing the inventor did not eat anything for breakfast that wasn't coffee. They waited for him to turn down the pastry she was offering him, but to their shock, he took a bite. Then he frowned, face puckering in disgust, "This is god-awful. You really like this stuff, kid?"

"Is that god-awful pun intended?" Evelyn asked, eyebrow raised and head cocked to the side slightly. "If so, that was a cheap and terrible joke, Daddy."

Steve choked on his own sip of coffee as Bruce lightly chuckled. Thor looked highly offended, but not at the pun. "I do not understand how you do not appreciate such fine food!"

Tony took another sip of his coffee, washing away the taste of overly sweet strawberry filling before answering. "I'm more of a coffee guy. I don't need much in the morning."

Evelyn rolled her eyes before stage whispering to Clint, "He says that now, but when lunch rolls around he'll be starving and dehydrated because of all the coffee he's had."

Clint laughed and ruffled Evelyn's unruly hair. She smiled in response and looked around at her new friends. She had been nervous earlier about being surrounded by literal superheroes, but they had all turned out to be humorous individuals who didn't talk to her like she was a child. She hated it when people talked down to her, but she felt like a grown-up here.

Evelyn watched as Tony and Bruce began a conversation about something related to science and she noted how excited the two were, both gesticulating wildly and finishing each other's sentences—something about quantum physics that was a little above her understanding. Her eyes flicked to Thor and Steve having a conversation at the table while Clint and Natasha cleaned up the kitchen. The noticed how the two assassins worked seamlessly together, their movements fluid and confident. Evelyn grinned and felt like she was finding a place among their home. She folded her napkin delicately and carefully hopped down from her chair. She threw her napkin away and poked her Daddy in the arm.

"Daddy, I'm going to go brush my teeth and get dressed." Evelyn wanted to at least try to keep to her normal schedule, and every morning she got up, ate breakfast, and then got herself ready for the day. She also didn't want anyone to think that she couldn't take care of herself at least a little bit. She was a big girl after all.

Tony smiled at her, "I see you're independent. Do you need any help getting to any of your clothes?" Evelyn shook her head no and Tony ruffled her hair. "Alright, call for one of us if you need anything, okay?"

Evelyn nodded and darted down the hallway while Tony watched her go. "JARVIS, alert me if she needs help or there are any breaches to security."

"Yes, sir."

Steve looked over at Tony from the kitchen table. "So what do we do now?"

Tony gave a one shoulder shrug. "I have the papers from London that say she is officially my daughter, and I'm granted full custody of her. I bet there are some sort of government things I should do since she's an immigrant from England, but I'll worry about that later."

Natasha broke in, her voice cool, but not unkind. "You need to inform Fury."

Tony smiled darkly, "He was aware before I was, I don't think he needs a follow-up."

Natasha glared lightly. Tony was right, but there were concerns with keeping her in the Tower with the Avengers. "Don't you think it is unsafe to have her staying here with us? What about if we fly out to a mission and Pepper is gone? Fury should know your plans so he can be sure someone is here with her, or that she is taken to the Helicarrier."

"She's right Tony. I'm not going to tell you that she shouldn't stay here—she's safest with all of us to protect her, but when we're gone, she'll be undefended." Steve, ever the voice of reason, had Tony stuck. He thought about it for a second before sighing in defeat.

"Fine, I'll call Eye-Patch. But only because the Helicarrier has JARVIS in a back door," Clint laughed and Natasha's eyes widened, "that way I can still know her whereabouts."

"Dude, how did you get JARVIS in without Fury knowing?" Clint was genuinely amused.

Tony smirked. "I have my ways."

Before the Avengers could continue talking, Evelyn came running back into the room, dressed in pink shorts and white t-shirt. She had a brush and a ponytail holder in her hand and she looked shyly at Tony. "Um, Daddy? Can you braid my hair for me? I don't know how, I don't want it in my face, but I also don't want to put it in a ponytail. Mommy can do it but-" Her lower lip started to tremble at the mention of her mother and Tony immediately set his coffee cup down and knelt in front of Evelyn and hugged her.

The other Avengers watched in slight awe at the ease to which Tony talked to Evelyn, assuring her that it was okay to cry and be sad. He gently rubbed her arms as he talked, creating a comforting environment for her. Tony acted on instinct more than actual experience and he hoped he said the right things. Unfortunately, he couldn't really solve her problem—he didn't know how to braid. Tony suggested instead that maybe Natasha knew how if Evelyn asked her nicely. Natasha wasn't angered by Tony's plea, she was actually kind of excited. She smiled and took Evelyn's hand.

"Of course I'll braid your hair. I can teach you if you want, it's easy and I'm sure a smart girl like you could pick up on it easy." Natasha sat Evelyn on the couch and began slowly brushing the long mass of brown hair. Natasha found it therapeutic to braid Evelyn's hair. It was thick and made a beautiful braid that hung down her back. It took minutes for Natasha to complete the task and Evelyn was silent throughout the process until Natasha finished. "Alright, there you go!"

Evelyn jumped up, a large smile stretching across her face, her previous sadness clearly forgotten. "Thank you Natasha!" Evelyn then launched herself at the woman, enveloping the spy in a hug. She then ran off to return the brush to her bathroom.

Natasha looked over at the men and they were all smiling. Natasha glared at them, daring them to make fun of her for her small display of affection with Evelyn. They never said a word, and went back to discussing the day ahead.

When Evelyn returned she took a seat between Bruce and Steve at the table and made a serious face. "Okay men, what's the game plan? Visit to the park, trip to the ice cream shop, super-secret Avengers mission?"

Steve laughed at Evelyn and poked her in the side gently, a giggle erupting from her. "Who said you get to have a say? This is our rodeo." He teased and poked her again, making her squirm sideways towards Bruce.

Evelyn stopped giggling long enough to level a hard stare at Steve. "Just because it is "your rodeo" doesn't mean you make unilateral decisions for everyone. Starks don't like being told what to do. And I want a say in the agenda!" The little girl paused for a frown marred her face and she added, "Especially because I can't cross the street on my own."

Tony laughed at Steve's dumbstruck face, bending over as Evelyn continued to stare into Steve's eyes, not an ounce of fear present. That was until Steve reached out and tickled Evelyn, making her giggle uncontrollably. She squirmed and said, "no no no" over and over again laughing. She reached out and grabbed Bruce's hand, startling the man. "Bruce, don't let Steve get me!"

There was a moment where the Avengers were concerned that the Other Guy would see Evelyn as a threat, but Bruce overcame his fear, and the Other Guy stayed calm. "I don't know, maybe Steve has a point. You're trying to take over, overthrow us." Evelyn's eyes comically widened before Bruce aided Steve in tickling the child.

Evelyn's laughter was infectious, filling the kitchen with light and joy. It was weird to experience how one child's laughter could make a space so much more inviting and enjoyable. Finally, Steve and Bruce let the child go. She breathed heavily and looked at Tony, jerking her thumb towards Steve. "Who knew Captain America could be cruel!"

Tony sipped his coffee, almost disinterested. "You're telling me, kid."

Evelyn sighed heavily, laying her head on her hand. There was silence as everyone finished their breakfasts and began getting ready for the day. Evelyn watched the Avengers disappear and reappear dressed for the day in comfortable clothing. She noticed that Steve and Bruce preferred to look slightly more put together in slacks and button up shirts, while Tony, Clint, and Natasha preferred jeans and unassuming t-shirts. Thor was an anomaly because he was not of Earth, and seemed uncomfortable in his "Midguardian clothing" consisting of jeans and a brightly colored t-shirt.

"Daddy, can we go to the park and play?" Evelyn asked when he returned, dressed in jeans and a Pink Floyd shirt.

Tony nodded. "I don't see why not, it's a nice day outside."

Clint looked at Natasha, a pleading look on his face. "Can we go too?"

Natasha rolled her eyes and walked over to the elevator. "You're a child, Clint."

Evelyn giggled and grabbed Clint's hand, pulling him towards the elevator, the other Avengers filing in behind them. "This gonna be fun!" And so, the Avengers set out for their first outing with Evelyn Johnson-Stark.

_**Thank you to everyone who has favorited, followed, and reviewed so far! I appreciate you taking the time to read my story, and I hope you're enjoying it. I like writing, and I am trying to improve on my details and dialogue. Any kind constructive feedback would be greatly appreciated! I'm always willing to grow and try something different. Best, A**_


	5. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

The Avengers made their way towards the nearest park, Evelyn babbling happily to Thor about how different New York was to London. Thor often asked questions that made Evelyn laugh, but she explained nonetheless to the god. As they neared the park, the Avengers watched Evelyn bounce in excitement, looking as if she was going to take flight.

As soon as the group crossed the street and entered the gate surrounding the park, Evelyn sprinted to the jungle gym. The Avengers smiled and sat down on some shaded benches and watched the child play. She was fearless—climbing up high ladders, swinging upside down on the monkey bars. She was grinning from ear to ear and she was talking to other children animatedly.

Bruce smiled fondly and leaned close to Tony. "She certainly loves talking to people. Wonder where she got that from." Tony rolled his eyes, but couldn't help the small smile that graced his features. The other Avengers couldn't contain similar smiles at seeing Tony so happy, and seeing the child so youthful and full of life.

Evelyn was talking to anyone without hesitation, despite some strange looks she got from her little accent. Within ten minutes, she had organized a large game of tag with kids running around and squealing in delight. When an hour had passed, Evelyn finally ran over and collapsed in the grass, breathing heavily. Tony handed her a bottle of water he had bought out of the drink machine, and she drank most of it in one go.

"Looks like you're having fun squirt." Tony commented on her flushed face and big smile.

Evelyn nodded her head emphatically. "They're all really fun!" She gestured towards the kids. "And they all live in the neighborhood, so we all agreed to play again some other time. And I can't wait for the next time we get to play because we said we were going to play hide-and-seek!"

The Avengers shared a smile before Evelyn stood up and grabbed Tony's hands and tried to pull him off the bench. She huffed and puffed, but Tony smirked knowingly at her. She caught his look and a glare settled on her features. "Daddy, please! I want someone to push me on the swing."

She pouted, her lower lip sticking out and her eyebrows furrowing. Tony tried to ignore it the best he could, but he simply could not fight those sad puppy eyes. Tony heaved himself to his feet and grabbed Evelyn, throwing her over his shoulder. She gasped in shock before laughing and trying to get down. The Avengers watched as father and daughter made it to the swings. He set her down, and then took a seat in the swing. They watched Evelyn roll her eyes and throw her hands up in exasperation and try to push Tony, who planted his feet in the ground. He appeared to be shouting over his shoulder, and she glared as hard as her cute features would allow.

Then, Tony got up and tickled Evelyn, making her laugh. He set her in the swing and began pushing her. She giggled and the Avengers faintly heard her shriek, "higher!" before someone dashed past their bench. The Avengers were confused before a man with a huge camera in one hand and what looked like a recorder ran up to Tony. The man began snapping pictures, frightening Evelyn, and angering Tony. The Avengers saw Tony stop the swing and grab Evelyn; they jumped to their feet and dashed over to their friend.

"-leave her be. I will sue you if you publish her photo, she's a minor." Tony's voice was angry, a warning tone clear to the Avengers, but not the reporter.

"Mr. Stark, is it true that Evelyn is an illegitimate child of yours from a one night fling?" The reporter was relentless and he was sending Tony into a rage. Evelyn was hiding behind Tony's legs, gripping his hand tightly, fear in her eyes. "Why are you just now becoming present in Evelyn's life? Did you not care until now? Is this a publicity stunt?"

Tony's face started turning red. Steve watched in apprehension, worried the man would take a swing at this reporter. Before Tony could respond, more reporters seemed to swarm out of nowhere, surrounding the Avengers. Cameras began flashing obnoxiously and continuously, making it hard for the Avengers to see. Steve turned to give instructions, but Tony had already scooped Evelyn up and hid her head in the crook of his neck. Thor was in front of Tony, and the other Avengers surrounding him to push their way out of the sudden crowd.

All the way, people were shouting questions at Tony and the Avengers: "Did you know about this child?" "How long has she been living with the Avengers?" "Is she going to be the heir to the Stark Fortune and company?" "Is it safe for this child to be raised by superheroes?" "Mr. Stark, was her mother a call girl?"

At that last question, Tony handed Evelyn off to Natasha, and whipped his hand out, grabbing the reporter who asked the question. "Elise Johnson was a wonderful woman, and a well-respected British model. She was killed in the terrorist attacks on the London subways yesterday. Insult me all you want, but you leave Elise and Evelyn Johnson out of your stories." The reporter's eyes were wide, and the other people around him were stunned into silence by Tony's show of aggression. Tony glared at the man before someone stepped in.

Clint gripped Tony's shoulder and pulled him along, and soon enough, the group broke out of the park and made their way to the Tower quickly. Along the way, Tony's phone started going off. He groaned and reached into his pocket, Pepper's face on the caller ID. Tony answered and immediately pulled the phone away from his ear.

"Geez, Pep, calm down! I was going to tell you tonight…no, this is not—Pep! …Her mother didn't want…okay, okay. We'll talk about it when you get home. Alright, bye." Tony ended the phone call and shoved it roughly in his pocket, a large sigh leaving his lungs.

Bruce was the one to caution into conversation, "What was Pepper saying?"

Tony rolled his eyes. "She saw already where reporters were tweeting about my apparent aggression towards the press. And she's mad that I didn't tell her first thing about Evelyn."

Natasha, who was still carrying Evelyn in her arms, looked at Tony. "You haven't told Pepper?"

"She was going to be home tonight from her business trip, I figured I could introduce them then, explain to Pepper face-to-face what was going on." Tony rubbed a hand down his face as they rounded the corner towards the Tower. "I thought it would be better that way."

Thor laughed and slapped Tony on the back, "Man of Iron, you should know by now that when it comes to women, men are always wrong—even Asgardian Princes! Midgardian women are an anomaly."

Tony did not look reassured, but Clint's chuckle helped alleviate the tension as the group piled into the elevator. Evelyn was silent, her arms wrapped around Natasha's neck. She was not looking at any of the Avengers, which concerned the team. When they arrived on the communal floor, she wiggled out of Natasha's arms and sprinted down the hallway to Tony's room.

The Avengers let her go and all collapsed into the couches in the living room. They were silent for a minute before JARVIS spoke up. "Sir, Director Fury is on the line."

The Avengers groaned in unison, all agreeing that this is the worst thing to happen at that moment. Tony had half a mind to tell Fury to shove it, but there was also the chance that there was an emergency. "Put him through, J."

A few moments passed before Fury's face was projected from one of JARVIS's cameras. He looked angry (as per usual), brow furrowed and one eye trained on Tony. Luckily, by his body language, Tony knew there would not be a mission to drag him away from Evelyn. Unfortunately, this meant he was angry he hadn't called about Evelyn.

"Stark, what do you think you're doing taking a vulnerable child into public like that? Especially since you haven't released the information publicly that you have a child?" Fury didn't beat around the bush. He went straight to the point.

However, it was Steve who answered. "Sir, Evelyn is a child, and as a child, she wanted to go outside and play. We wanted to help her adjust and thought a trip to the park was warranted. We all decided this together, as a team."

Fury exhaled sharply out of his nose, his eye meeting every Avenger's face. He only saw genuine honesty in the Avengers' faces. He finally sighed, rubbing his face tiredly. "Is the kid alright?"

Tony swiveled and looked down the hall, towards his room, where he knew Evelyn was sitting. He honestly couldn't answer Fury. He remembers the first time the press swarmed him when he was young—he was also scared, but Howard hadn't given him time to be afraid. He had to suck it up and smile at the flashing cameras.

"Evelyn went to her room when we got back. She was a little shaken up, and we're giving her space to calm down." Natasha answered smoothly. "I'm sure Pepper will clear this up though. She's already called and berated Tony."

Fury nodded for a moment, knowing that Pepper would ensure this never happened again more efficiently than himself. "Fine. We need to have a briefing on safety protocols for Evelyn in the event of an emergency or a call to assemble as soon as possible."

"Tomorrow afternoon?" Steve questioned, looking at the team for confirmation. He received nods from everyone, and then looked to Fury.

"Tomorrow at 4:00pm, be in the normal briefing room. Stark, I would recommend bringing Evelyn so she can familiarize herself with the helicarrier." No sooner had those words left Fury's mouth did Tony and Bruce protest.

Bruce spoke the loudest saying, "Sir, that would be psychologically exhausting on her. She's seven years old, her mother just passed away, she's in a new country, and she's adjusting to a new parental figure. Adding in another unfamiliar place so early would be too much for her to handle."

Tony nodded in agreeance. He did not want to add any more stress to Evelyn than she was already under. "The reporters today really scared her, and I don't think a bunch of highly trained agents will make her feel any less scared."

Fury exhaled loudly through his nose before nodding. "Fine, but she needs to be looked after by someone."

"Pepper will be in town for the week, she can watch Evelyn for a few hours." Tony supplied helpfully. Fury nodded.

"See you all at four tomorrow." Fury cut the line. When no one said anything, Tony stood up and began heading towards his room. The other Avengers didn't stop him; instead, they dispersed to do their own thing.

When Tony got to his room, the door was closed. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door gently. He heard a soft, "come in," and then he pushed the door open. Evelyn was curled up on the bed, looking at the wall. She was clutching a pillow tightly, making Tony aware that her toys and comfort items may still be packed up. He sat on the edge of the bed, facing Evelyn. He met her eyes and saw awareness and sadness.

"Hey, Princess. I'm sorry about what happened today at the park." Tony spoke softly, but honestly. "I didn't know the press would come looking for you."

Evelyn met Tony's eyes easily, but didn't speak for a while. Tony began to wonder if she was upset at him. But her next words threw him for a loop.

"Daddy, was I unwanted by you and mommy?" Evelyn held Tony's gaze. Her eyes held an awareness Tony hadn't seen before, and it pained him to see a child believe she had been unwanted. He smiled gently at her before opening his arms slightly, allowing the child to crawl into them.

He squeezed her close before answering. "You were never unwanted, Evelyn. You were a surprise. And at the time you were born, I wasn't the best person. So your mom raised you and took care of you until she knew I would be able to help." Tony kissed the top of Evelyn's head. "And now that you are here, I wish I hadn't missed all those years, and that I had been a part of your life sooner, because you are so wanted. Don't let anyone tell you differently."

Evelyn didn't respond. She merely clutched Tony's chest in a tight hug and thought through his words. Evelyn didn't fully understand what the reporters had been saying, but she did know the concept of being unwanted. And to hear her dad tell her how much he wanted her, and to hear the happiness in his voice made her feel all that more comfortable.

"Thank you, Daddy." Evelyn tightened her hold. "You're wanted too."

Tony grinned, even though Evelyn couldn't see it. He had never felt so happy in his life. He opened his mouth to respond when his phone buzzed. Tony deftly removed it and saw message informing him that the room across from his had been completed for Evelyn. Tony had completely forgotten about having Evelyn's room set up. He decided now would be a good time to show it to her. "I've got a surprise for you, Evelyn."

Evelyn perked up and swiveled to look more directly a Tony. "A surprise?"

Tony stood up and set Evelyn on her feet and walked out of the room. Evelyn was hot on his heels as he turned right of his room and went to the room immediately across the hall. Tony peeked in before he smiled and turned to look at Evelyn. She tried to peer around his legs in curiosity, but he stopped her. "So I had some people come in and fix this up for you. If you want something changed, we can do that."

Evelyn looked confused before Tony stepped aside and let Evelyn step into the room. He followed behind her and smiled and she looked at the room in awe. The bedroom was painted a light green with a sunflower painted on one wall. There was another wall of floor to ceiling windows looking out over the city. There was a full-sized bed with a light yellow bedspread and a tall dresser in the corner. There was lots of open space for Evelyn to play, and a built-in bookshelf near the door so she could place some of her belongings.

"Is this all for me?" Evelyn spun around and looked at Tony eagerly. "The whole room?"

Tony smiled and walked to the other side and pushed open the bathroom door. "And this bathroom too."

Evelyn grinned and sprinted to Tony and wrapped her arms around his legs. "Thank you so much Daddy!"

"Anything for you, kiddo." Tony patted Evelyn head. "Let's go grab your stuff and set up your room, huh?"

And that was how Tony and Evelyn spent the afternoon. They unpacked all of Evelyn's clothes into her dresser and then they went about setting up some pictures for her. She had a few toys and a few books to place as well. By the time Steve came and retrieved them for lunch, the room looked like a real kid's room. He smiled.

"What's been happening up here?" Steve said and he leaned against the door frame. Tony and Evelyn comically turned around from the dresser where they were placing a few last minute pictures before Evelyn ran over to Steve.

"Daddy had this room painted for me today and he got me a bed and a bedspread!" Evelyn frantically pointed at each item. "Isn't it beautiful? And look! That's a picture of me and my mommy! Daddy said that we can put all of her pictures up so that I won't miss her as much. Isn't this just the best room, Steve?"

Steve grinned and looked at the picture Evelyn had indicated. The woman definitely shared the same smile as Evelyn, and the two were laughing in the picture together. "It sure is. I really like that sunflower on your wall."

Evelyn gushed for a few minutes on the beauty of the sunflower, and how it was one of her favorite flowers. Tony watched on quietly and Evelyn walked Steve through every inch of the room. She was excited about the room, not at all frightened by the idea that this would be hers from now on. Tony couldn't have been happier.

Tony finally broke through Evelyn explaining that she wanted to get more books for her bookshelf and that she wanted to make a reading nook. "How about we head to lunch, kiddo? I'm sure Steve is hungry. He's a big guy."

Evelyn smiled and took Steve's hand. "To lunch we go!"

As the three were heading down the hallway to the kitchen, Steve turned to Tony. "Also, Pepper arrived a little bit ago. JARVIS said you were occupied, but I just thought you'd like to know." Tony nodded. He was prepared for Pepper's might, but glancing down at Evelyn, he hoped that just maybe she wouldn't be too upset this time.


	6. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

Upon entering the kitchen, Evelyn shouted a big, "hello!" to her new family, which was heartily returned. Evelyn noticed a new woman sitting next to Natasha and she stopped and scurried over to Tony's side. Evelyn didn't know this woman yet, and she was unsure of what she should do. She looked up at Tony questioningly, waiting for his go ahead.

However, Clint didn't seem to see the hesitation and placed a plate on the table next to the new woman. "Come on and get your lunch, punk! It's a Clint special- peanut butter and jelly sandwich and mac 'n' cheese."

Evelyn didn't budge from behind Tony's legs, looking apprehensively at the plate of food. The woman then decided to turn and look and saw the small girl hugging Tony's leg. She gave Evelyn a polite smile before looking up at Tony.

"Who's this pretty lady, Tony?" The woman's voice was lilting and beautiful, but Evelyn also sensed authority behind her words.

Tony rubbed Evelyn's head gently, trying to ease her out from behind him. "Pepper, this is Evelyn. Evelyn, this is Pepper."

Pepper smiled more fully at Evelyn. "You're the Evelyn Clint has been telling me about!"

Evelyn's eyes widened and she shot Clint a glare. "You can't believe what he says! He calls me a punk!"

Pepper laughed and winked at Evelyn when Clint looked aghast. "Excuse me miss, but you called me fat this morning!"

Evelyn, no longer shy, rolled her eyes in a such a way that Pepper knew instantly she was Tony's daughter. "Again, your words, not mine. You need better comeback material."

Natasha let out a soft laugh while Bruce snorted behind his hand. Evelyn walked over and climbed up into her chair, while Tony fixed himself a plate and grabbed Evelyn a glass of water. He heard his daughter thank Clint for lunch. He rejoined the table and watched as Clint bickered with his daughter. It was quite like watching a brother and sister interact.

"Evelyn, you should tell everyone about your new room." Steve prompted from his end of the table, a grin spreading across his face as Evelyn looked at Natasha excitedly.

"My room is green and has a sunflower on the wall! And the bedspread is yellow and matches and it's beautiful!" Evelyn looked at Pepper. "Ms. Pepper, do you like sunflowers?"

Pepper nodded. "I do indeed like sunflowers. I take it you do as well."

Evelyn nodded emphatically. "They're one of my favorites! They're the most beautiful!"

Thor looked seriously at Evelyn. "How does one possess a flower of the sun? Would that not burn your puny human planet?"

Evelyn gasped and looked accusingly at Clint. He looked shocked at the glare being directed at him. "Why haven't you taught Thor about sunflowers?"

Clint looked at Bruce incredulously. "Why am I in trouble? You could have taught him!"

Evelyn sighed heavily before eating a forkful of mac 'n' cheese. She looked at Tony in exasperation before returning her look to Clint. "Well you see Clint," Evelyn was very serious now, "I have decided that you shall bear the brunt of my verbal teasing because you react to it."

Tony laughed with the rest of the table. Clint looked taken aback before he narrowed his eyes teasingly. "If it's a war you want, it's a war you shall get. It's on, little miss."

Evelyn took a bite of her sandwich and smirked, and looked just like her father. "You're on, Feathers."

Clint raised an eyebrow at how easily Evelyn stole her father's nickname for him. "The games have begun, punk. You'll never know when I'll strike."

Evelyn shrugged and didn't looked scared. Tony grinned. "That's my girl. She doesn't take anything from anybody, right kiddo?" Evelyn nodded firmly before turning to Thor.

"To answer your question Thor, sunflowers are big yellow flowers that grow tall and face towards the sun. They have seeds that we can eat! I'll show you the sunflower on my wall so you know what it looks like."

Thor inclined his head graciously. "Thank you young one."

After that, the meal continued on as normal. Once everyone had finished, Pepper volunteered herself and Tony to do the dishes. The others got the message loud and clear—Pepper need to have a talk with Tony regarding Evelyn. Evelyn didn't seem to notice, and instead took the opportunity to show the Avengers her new bedroom. As Evelyn dragged Thor down the hallway, the others trailing behind, Pepper gave Tony a long look. He sighed deeply.

"I'm sorry, Pep. I really am. I wanted to introduce you two face-to-face and explain to her our relationship. I didn't know the press would come looking for her." Tony scrubbed a pan as he spoke and finally met Pepper's lingering stare.

She sighed as she dried a plate. "I know, I'm sorry I was so snappy. But Tony I need to know these things! Especially since we now have a little girl to take care of. She needs to be registered for school, taken to a doctor, the government needs to know she's in the country, and we need a press conference."

Tony stopped washing one of the plates and looked over at Pepper. "A press conference? Don't you think that's a little rushed?"

Pepper rolled her eyes. "Don't you think it's a little rushed to have her out in public a day after her mother died? Tony, the point is that if we get ahead of this, it'll be better in the long run. A press conference tomorrow at noon. Have Evelyn ready to answer a few questions."

Tony turned fully to look at Pepper. He dropped the plate he was scrubbing n the soapy water and said, "You want to stick a little girl, who is completely new to this country and new to me, in front of the press in order to control a story? Pep, that's cruel. At least put this off for a week. She was terrified today when the reporters swarmed her."

"No, Tony. It'll be fine. Just a couple of routine questions so we can control the press until we can have more public events with her. You'll be with her the whole time, and you can make sure to call on the reporters that will be kind to her." Pepper was still drying dishes. "It'll be a controlled environment, and it won't be paparazzi reporters who have no regard for others."

Tony harrumphed before going back to washing the plates. They stood in silence for a few moments before Tony spoke again, "What about us and her? How are they going to react to us dating, and me now having a daughter?"

Pepper's lips pursed ever so slightly. Tony could tell she had already been giving this some thought. It was another long moment before she answered. "Well, I don't want to replace her mother. That's not something I want to do. I would like to be a part of her life. But that should be her decision when she's old enough. I think she should know that we are together, and then she can make a decision from there. As for the press, the addition of Evelyn doesn't change much. We now just add the duties of being a parent to the mix."

Tony nodded, agreeing with Pepper's words. He didn't want to force a new mother on Evelyn, and he felt confident that Evelyn could make a decision on what Pepper was to her. It was apparent that Evelyn was making quick friends with the other Avengers. He knew she would get along with Pepper just fine.

At that moment, the other Avengers returned. Tony looked up and grinned at Evelyn as she swung Natasha's hand. Natasha was even smiling openly at the young child. Tony realized that this little girl was doing something deeper to the Avengers that perhaps none of them had ever experienced before. He couldn't think much more on it before a loud alarm began blaring. Evelyn jumped in fright and moved closer to Natasha, looking around frantically.

Tony stopped washing the dishes and locked eyes with Steve—a call to assemble. They knew this would be something that could happen, but Tony didn't think it would be happening so soon. Tony looked at Pepper, who nodded immediately. The other Avengers dashed off to grab their gear. Natasha passed Evelyn over to Tony once he approached her.

"Daddy, what's happening?" Evelyn's voice was laced with a fear Tony didn't know a child's voice could possess. "Where is everyone going?"

Tony knelt down and gently gripped Evelyn's shoulders. "Honey, remember that we're the Avengers. That alarm is the call to assemble. We need to go stop some bad guys."

Evelyn launched forward into Tony's arms and squeezed him tightly. "But… who is going to stay with me? I'm too little to stay home by myself."

"I'll stay here with you, if you don't mind." Pepper was still standing in the kitchen by the sink. She gave Evelyn a soft smile before continuing, "I usually stay behind by myself when they have to leave. Now I won't have to be alone."

Tony nodded at Pepper's words. "Pepper will take good care of you. And I'll call you as soon as we're on our way back."

Evelyn looked from Tony's face to Pepper standing behind him. She looked apprehensive and still frightened, but she finally nodded. "Okay. Will you be safe? I don't want you to get hurt."

Tony smiled and hugged Evelyn tightly. "I'll be very safe. And I'll make sure that everyone else is safe too. Now I have to go, okay?"

Evelyn released Tony and backed away from him. As Tony ran to the balcony to assemble the suit, the others rushed back into the living room. Evelyn saw them and waved. "Be safe! Especially you Clint! I need my buddy to come back in one piece!"

Clint grinned as he ran out the door to the Quinjet. "I'll be safe punk. Take care of Pepper!"

With those parting words, the Avengers disappeared in the sky to go fight whatever evil had presented itself. Evelyn watched from the window until she sighed heavily and turned around to see Pepper still in the kitchen. Evelyn walked over and watched Pepper place the last dish in the drying rack. Evelyn noticed how beautiful Pepper was. Her hair was long and shiny and she was dressed in a very nice suit.

"Ms. Pepper, what do you do?" Evelyn asked curiously. She knew it was something important by the way Pepper held herself, even while in the kitchen.

Pepper looked down at Evelyn before she began kicking off her heels. "I'm the CEO of Stark Industries. I run your daddy's company."

Evelyn's eyes widened. "So, you're the boss? Does that mean you're my daddy's boss?"

Pepper winked. "I've always been the boss, even when your daddy was CEO. But yes, I basically am the boss. But your daddy still owns the company and controls a majority of it. There are somethings that only he can do."

"Oh! You're like a team!" Evelyn smiled broadly at Pepper. "Does that mean you two are good friends?"

Pepper nodded. "You could say that. We've known each other for a long time. I used to be his assistant."

Evelyn processed Pepper's words. For some reason, Evelyn believed that Pepper meant something else when she said that they were friends. Evelyn frowned and asked her next question, "Ms. Pepper, are you my daddy's wife?"

Pepper's eyes widened in shock. "What? Oh, no no. We're just dating, we aren't married. Your daddy isn't good with commitment. We're just boyfriend and girlfriend."

"I figured. You didn't answer my question directly. Have you two been dating for a long time?"

Pepper began to feel like Evelyn intentionally wanted to play twenty questions. The little girl now stood looking at Pepper expectantly, but also like she was working out who Pepper was to her core. She had seen the same look on Tony's face when he was meeting new people. But Pepper also noticed a gentleness in the child's eyes that she knew was from her mother, Elise.

"Well, we started dating about a year and a half ago. But we were friends before that."

Evelyn nodded in acceptance, content with Pepper's straightforward answer. But Pepper noticed that Evelyn was now looking nervously at Pepper, her hands pulling at her shirt and eyes darting around the room. She was going to ask the child if she was okay before Evelyn blurted out her next question.

"Did you know my mommy?"

Pepper was taken aback by the question. Pepper had been working for Tony when he met Elise Johnson almost eight years ago. Elise actually had been very kind compared to the other women Tony had been with. Pepper studied the girl, gauging how much she should say. Pepper smiled gently at the girl.

"I did, I met her a couple of times. Would you like to come sit with me, and we can talk about her?"

Evelyn frowned at Pepper's words, as if maybe this was a trick. But she eventually nodded and followed Pepper to the living room couch. She took a seat where she could see the landing strip for Tony's suit before focusing her eyes on Pepper.

Pepper waited a moment before starting. "Your mother was incredibly beautiful. She had this radiant blonde hair, and the bluest eyes I have ever seen. But she was also extremely kind. Most people aren't nice to assistants of important people, but she was always nice to me." Pepper chuckled softly, "She even bought me coffee once because your dad was being a doofus. She told me, 'That man couldn't live without you, the least I can do is buy you a cup of coffee for your trouble.'"

Evelyn grinned. "She was always nice to her assistants! They would come and have dinner with us. My mommy also always talked nicely of my daddy. Other people who were in her situation didn't like the fathers of their children. My friend, Julia, her parents got divorced and her mommy was always saying how bad Julia's daddy was. But my mommy never said a mean thing about him."

Pepper nodded knowingly. "I know, I've heard people talk like that before. What did your mommy tell you about your daddy?"

"She told me that he was a good man, but that he couldn't take care of me just yet. She said that a few years ago he finally began showing that good man to the world. She never was mean. She said that he definitely would have loved me but that he had a hard life." Evelyn paused before continuing. "She was protecting him because he didn't have a lot of people to love him."

Pepper was shocked by Evelyn's deduction based on Elise's few words to her daughter about Tony. Pepper knew the girl would be smart, a genius even, but her ability to read people was incredible. Pepper smiled fondly at Evelyn.

"You know, your mom was also very smart. I see that that's where you get it from." Pepper received a broad grin that mirrored Tony's exactly.

"I'm a genius." Evelyn sat straighter. "I have an IQ that is off the charts and I'm slated to skip a grade if it continues. I can do advanced math already. Mommy said that I got that from daddy."

Pepper nodded in agreeance. "Your dad is a very smart man. His IQ is extremely off the charts, too."

Evelyn let those words hang in the air. She looked back towards the landing pad and sighed heavily. It had been no more than half an hour, and Pepper could see the girl growing weary of waiting. She had work she needed to do, especially since she needed to host a press conference the next day. She sent a quick text to her secretary to place the call for the conference.

"Evelyn, how about we watch a movie this afternoon? That'll pass the time quickly." Pepper lounged back against the couch casually. "We can watch from right here so you can keep watching for your dad and the others."

Evelyn tilted her head in contemplation, throwing her long braid over her shoulder. She finally nodded quietly before leaning back against the armrest. "Do you think we could watch _Mulan_? She's my favorite Disney princess. She's strong and fights too even though they tell her she can't because she's a girl."

Pepper looked up at the ceiling and JARVIS responded. "It shall begin playing momentarily, Ms. Potts."

Evelyn looked up in amazement. "Who is that?"

"Hello young miss. My name is JARVIS. I am like an electronic butler." Evelyn looked all around the room, looking for some sign of the artificial intelligence.

"Are you a computer?"

"Why yes, I am. But I believe myself to be more than that." JARVIS responded smoothly.

Evelyn's eyes lit up. "Oh! Artificial intelligence! Did my daddy make you? That is so cool! I've only ever read about artificial intelligence, I've never met one. JARVIS, you are one of a kind! It is a pleasure to meet you!"

Pepper watched on for few more moments as Evelyn and JARVIS bantered before she finally thanked him for playing the movie and settled back into the cushions. Not long into the movie, Pepper noticed the little girl dozing off. She figured as much—the girl was stressed and in a different time zone. She needed time to adjust. Pepper rose and retrieved a blanket for the girl and a pillow. She gently moved the seven-year-old into a more comfortable position and watched as she snuggled into a peaceful sleep.

Pepper left the movie running for soothing background noise and she pulled out her laptop. She set to work doing finishing touches for the press conference and moving some of her meetings around so she could be around the Tower more to interact with Evelyn. She also did research on local public schools, as well as a couple private schools that she and Tony could look through. When she finished that, she ordered a few dresses for Evelyn, knowing that there were a few company dinners coming up that required Tony's presence. Pepper was aware that the movie had ended close to an hour ago, but she kept working. As she began working on setting up Evelyn with a doctor's appointment, she felt someone watching her.

Pepper looked up to find Evelyn staring at her keenly. She had been silent, as if afraid to speak to Pepper. Pepper frowned, thinking something was wrong.

"Are you okay, sweetie?"

Evelyn shook her head and whispered, "I had a nightmare."

Pepper quickly sat her laptop to the side and opened her arms. Evelyn hesitated for a moment before walking over to Pepper and letting herself be pulled into the other woman's lap. "What happened? You can tell me."

"I saw daddy getting hurt and not coming back like my mommy didn't come back. She went to work and then her train was attacked. I'm scared that will happen to daddy." Evelyn's voice was surprisingly even, but tightly strained, as if the little girl was trying to be strong. "How much longer until he is home?"

Pepper checked her watch. It was nearing four thirty in the afternoon; the Avengers had been gone nearly four and a half hours. They should be returning home, meaning Pepper better find something for dinner. That gave her an idea.

"Well, I know that I can't make any promises, but I do know that your daddy is very tough. He'll want to come home and make sure you're okay. Nothing bad will happen to him, okay?" Evelyn gave a cautious nod. "But I do know that the Avengers are going to be hungry when they return. Should we decide on what food to make for them?"

Evelyn nodded a little more confidently this time. "I would like that. Can we make fish and chips? Mommy used to make it at home all the time."

Pepper nodded. "Let's go check the fridge. We may need to go the store to pick up some fish and chips to cook."

As it turned out, they did indeed need to go to the store. Pepper didn't want another reporter incident like last time, but the store was on their block and they only needed two things. It would take twenty minutes tops. She helped Evelyn with her shoes and then the two of them were off. Pepper allowed Evelyn to choose the fish they ate, which turned out to be cod fillets, and they bought real potatoes to make their own chips. On their way back, Pepper's phone rang. She looked at the caller ID and sighed when Tony's picture flashed at her.

"Hey Tony." Pepper answered with a grin at Evelyn who was walking next to her. "Are you all on your way back?"

"_We are, should be about twenty or thirty minutes. How's Evie?"_

Pepper held the phone away from her mouth and looked down at Evelyn, "Would you like to speak to your dad?"

Evelyn nodded and held her hand up to take the phone. She pressed it eagerly to her ear as the two entered the elevator. "Daddy! Are you okay? Is everyone okay?"

"_We're all okay. We're ready to be home. Did you have fun with Pepper?"_ Evelyn nodded, even though Tony couldn't see her.

"We did! We watched Mulan and talked and she told me you two are dating! She's the best Daddy. I like Ms. Pepper a whole lot."

Tony chuckled. _"She is the best. I'm glad you had fun. I'll want to hear all about it when I get back. I'll see you soon, Princess."_

Evelyn smiled. "Okay, Daddy! I'll see you soon. I love you."

Tony was mute for a moment, completely floored by the utterance of three simple words from his daughter. He didn't know she would say that after only knowing him for a day and a half, but before he could respond, Pepper's voice greeted him.

"We're cooking dinner. We'll see you soon. Love you, Tony." Pepper said to him.

"Love you too, Pep. We'll be home soon."

After Pepper hung up the phone, she and Evelyn got right to work on cooking dinner. Pepper had had JARVIS turn on the oven to preheat while they were checking out at the store. They placed the fish fillets and chips in the oven and went about setting the table. While Pepper prepared a light salad to accompany the meal, Evelyn delicately placed the plates at each chair and the forks. She even retrieved ketchup and tartar sauce for the table. By the time Pepper was pulling out the fish and chips, the roar of the Quinjet could be heard. Pepper glanced up and saw Tony land. She noticed Evelyn was patiently waiting on permission to go run to Tony.

Pepper leaned down and whispered in Evelyn's ear. "Go ahead."

Evelyn bolted around the kitchen island and sprinted to the balcony. As the Avengers all entered the living room, looking worn and tired, they couldn't help but grin as Tony knelt down and scooped up the running girl. She wrapped her arms tightly around Tony, not noticing the small cut above his right eyebrow or how stiff he had been walking. She was just content to hug her dad.

Tony rubbed her back and picked her up with him. "I told you I'd be careful."

"Is Clint okay too? What about Natasha and Thor and Steve and Bruce?"

Clint huffed. "Where is my super hug? I came back just fine and I didn't get a hug."

Evelyn released her hold on Tony to see the other Avengers standing there smiling and safe. She wiggled out of Tony's grip and ran to give them all hugs. "I'm so happy you're all safe! Even Clint!"

Before Clint could retort, Pepper announced dinner and the hungry team quickly took seats. There was companionable silence as everyone ate. Evelyn analyzed the team, ensuring that they were indeed okay. Bruce looked extremely tired, but not injured. Thor also looked unscathed, and Evelyn noted he had a large appetite. She slyly slid him one of her extra fish fillets so he could have more.

Steve looked like he only had a few bruises, and he was also very hungry but he ate more salad to fight the hunger. Natasha had some blood dried on the side of her face that disappeared into her hairline, and Evelyn decided that she would give Natasha an extra hug to make her better. Clint was eating with only his left hand, his right arm pulled closely to his body. She determined his wrist was injured and resolved herself to be nice to Clint until it was fixed.

Evelyn looked at her father last and noticed the cut above his eyebrow. He seemed unaffected by it, but Evelyn noticed that the glowing light in his chest looked a little dimmer. She frowned thoughtfully and stared at the light, wondering what would make it dim. She must have been staring for a while because Tony gently laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Everything alright kiddo?" Tony searched his daughter's face for any sign of distress, but all he found was quiet curiosity.

Evelyn nodded but pointed to Tony's chest. "Your light isn't as bright. Are the batteries running out?"

The Avengers stopped eating and looked at Tony, who was looking at his arc reactor. It wasn't uncommon for the device to be drained of some of its power after being hooked up to the suit, but they didn't know how Tony wanted to explain it to Evelyn. They watched Tony silently battle with himself on how to explain the dim light. He finally heaved a sigh and caught Evelyn's gaze.

"Remember what I told you about the arc reactor?" He waited for his daughter to sift through the information.

"Well, Natasha said it was a magnet. And you said it helps make your heart work." Evelyn's eyebrows scrunched together, "But that doesn't explain why it isn't as bright."

Tony nodded before he answered. "You're right, it does make my heart work. But it also powers the Iron Man suit. They're connected when we have to go fight the bad guys." Tony paused again to see if his daughter would connect the dots.

Evelyn's eyes widened and she leaned in closer to the arc reactor, tapping it gently. "When it connects it has to use more power than you need. Your heart is smaller than the suit, so when the suit uses it, it gets dimmer."

"Exactly. It just needs time to adjust." Tony smiled at Evelyn. "Nothing to worry about."

After dinner, the Avengers gathered in the living room for a movie, but within the hour, they were all sleeping soundly. Pepper and Evelyn were the only ones awake. When the movie ended, the girl and the woman laughed lightly together.

"Ms. Pepper, can we get a picture?" Pepper nodded and snapped a couple of photos on her phone.

"I also have documentation of all of the Avengers falling asleep, Miss Potts." JARVIS's tone was light and teasing, causing Evelyn to giggle.

Pepper surveyed the room before she looked at Evelyn. "Want to help me wake them up?"

Evelyn nodded and set about waking up Clint first, while Pepper went to handle Thor. It was not long before all of the Avengers were stumbling back down to their rooms. Tony, Pepper, and Evelyn were the last awake. The adults walked the young girl down the hall to her room and helped her get ready for bed. After she'd brushed her teeth and combed her hair, Evelyn crawled into the bed.

Tony sat down on one side of the bed while Pepper sat on the other side of the bed. "Ready for bed Princess?"

Evelyn nodded and yawned to accentuate her point. "Mhmm."

"Come get us if you need anything, okay? We're just across the hall." Pepper smiled gently and smoothed out the blankets around the child.

Evelyn's eyes were drooping but she nodded. "I will," her voice whispered.

Tony leaned down and placed a kiss on Evelyn's forehead, causing the child to smile softly. "Goodnight Evelyn, I love you."

The words tumbled out of Tony's mouth before he knew what was happening. It was so natural, so paternal. Pepper was shocked into silence. It had taken Tony years to admit he loved Pepper, let alone say it aloud. She couldn't be more proud of Tony.

"Love you too, Daddy," came the whispered reply. With those parting words, Tony and Pepper rose and went to bed. Tomorrow was going to be a big day.


	7. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

Tony adjusted his tie and stared into the mirror once more. He still felt that this press conference was not in the best interest of Evelyn, but Pepper assured him that it would go smoothly. He trusted Pepper, no doubt about it, but he didn't want Evelyn to be terrified. This was only her second full day with him, and while it appeared she loved him and was happy, he was constantly afraid of doing something wrong.

He sighed and stepped away from the mirror to grab his suit jacket. He exited his room and crossed the hall to Evelyn's room. She was sitting on her bed while Natasha did her hair and Pepper looked through her closet.

"Oh, what about the yellow sundress?" Evelyn asked eagerly. She didn't move though as Natasha was working on an elegant bun for Evelyn. Pepper pulled out the yellow sundress, nodded, and set it next to two other dresses. One was navy with three-quarter sleeves and had floral designs on it. There was also a red sleeveless dress with a halter neck and ruffled skirt, and now the yellow sundress. The yellow sundress had white polka dots and was also a halter-style dress.

"Anything that'll match this tie?" Tony teased as he walked into the room, drawing the attention of the three women.

Pepper rolled her eyes. "We're helping Evelyn pick a dress."

Tony nodded and sat down gently on the bed. "Any favorites?"

Evelyn looked at all three. "I like all of them. But I don't know if the yellow one is too bright or if the red one is too plain."

"I think they're all good choices. But I think you'll look better in the red with your dark hair and eyes." Natasha commented as she stuck another bobby pin into Evelyn's hair. "It's simple yet sophisticated. And it matches your dad's tie."

Pepper nodded and looked back to Evelyn. "You would wear your shiny black flats with it. And maybe I'll let you wear one of my red lipsticks. But just a little." Pepper winked at Evelyn, making her giggle.

"I'll wear the red one, please." Evelyn grinned. It was not long before Natasha finished her bun and Evelyn was all dressed. As promised, Pepper gave her a little bit of red lipstick to match. When Evelyn walked into the living room, back straight and shoulders back, she looked like a different little girl.

Clint walked over and squinted into Evelyn's face. He leaned in close before straightening up, "Hey Tony, there's a kid in the Tower. She says she's Evelyn but she's in a dress and has lipstick on."

Evelyn's face fell lax into an expression of mild annoyance. "Clint, please. I am a lady." She brushed past him like he was nothing and Natasha let out a chuckle.

Tony grinned. "Atta girl. No boys ever. You walk by like that every time."

Pepper bustled into the room in her crisp skirt suit, taking in the semi-formal attire of everyone else. The Avengers were all gathered in the living room preparing for the press conference; they would be stationed in the audience to give Evelyn familiar faces to look at. "All right, let's go! Everyone remember their positions?"

The Avengers nodded and they all moved to the elevators. They traveled in silence, all mentally preparing for the conference. They had been to them before, but Tony usually handled the press to save the team the headache of pointless questions. But now there was a little bit of nervous energy, most of it coming from Evelyn, who stood holding Tony's hand.

He squeezed her hand tightly as they exited the elevator. "You're going to be fine. I'm going to go out first, and then Pepper is going to walk you out. You'll be okay."

Evelyn nodded silently and looked up at Tony nervously. Before the Avengers dispersed, Clint leaned down and whispered in Evelyn's ear. Whatever he said made her giggle and smile. Tony nodded gratefully to Clint. Pepper checked her watch.

"Show time." Tony nodded and knelt down for a quick hug.

"It's going to be fine. I'll be with you the whole time." Tony kissed Evelyn's cheek and walked out on the stage.

Cameras flashed and reporters shouted at Tony, trying to get him to answer them. He merely approached the podium and raised his hand for silence. Once it was quiet, Tony began speaking.

"Two days ago, Child Protective Services in London called to inform me I was the primary guardian of Evelyn Johnson. Evelyn Johnson is the daughter of Elise Johnson, a British model who lost her life in the London terror attacks this week. I am Evelyn's father.

"I did not know about Evelyn until now because her mother decided not to tell me about her at the time of her birth. However, Elise Johnson stated in her will that should anything happen to her, I would take on Evelyn's primary caretaking. As per her request, Evelyn has been staying with me here in New York. Today, I would like to introduce you to Evelyn Johnson, my daughter."

At that, Pepper walked onto the stage holding Evelyn's hand. She looked nervous, the camera flashes frightening her. She gripped Pepper's hand tighter before she was close enough to hide behind Tony's legs. She peeked out and the crowd 'awed' at the cuteness of the action. Tony smiled and reached behind him and gently pulled Evelyn into his side.

"Evelyn, can you say hi?" Tony said softly while he pointed Evelyn towards a spot where Bruce was sitting.

Evelyn smiled shyly and lifted a hand, "Hi," she said while she waved.

Tony addressed the reporters. "We will take a few questions." Hands shot into the air and Tony pointed to the reported from the Wall Street Journal.

"Miss Johnson, it is a pleasure to meet you. What do you think about living in Avengers Tower?"

Evelyn looked up at Tony for encouragement and ended up raising her arms slightly to be picked up. Despite being seven, she still craved comfort. Tony picked her up and turned so she could see the reporter. She smiled a genuine, broad smile. "It's nice to meet you too sir. I like living in Avengers Tower; everyone is really nice and have helped me a lot. Except for Hawkeye, he likes to play practical jokes, but he doesn't know who he's messing with."

The reporters chuckled before Tony pointed to another reporter. "It's nice to put a face to the name, Evelyn. How do you like living in the United States?"

"You drive on the wrong side of the road." Evelyn immediately answered and then she slapped her hands over mouth, and turned wide eyes at Tony, who was laughing with the reporters. "Will that get Britain in trouble with the United States?"

Tony shook his head, "No, it's okay. Anything else you'd like to add for the nice reporter?"

Evelyn nodded and turned back to the reporter. "Also, the United States has really nice people and really tasty Pop-Tarts!"

Questions flowed freely until Tony said he would take one more for Evelyn. The reporter smiled and greeted Evelyn and then asked, "Do you like living with Tony?"

Evelyn's smile grew bigger and she nodded emphatically, turning to grin at Tony. "Daddy is the best! He has been taking really good care of me. He's funny, but he also is really nice." Evelyn hugged Tony around the neck. "Mommy was right when she said that Daddy was a good man."

Tony smiled and hugged Evelyn tightly. "That's all the questions for Evelyn today. Say bye, honey."

Evelyn waved at the reporters. "Bye! It was nice meeting you!" Evelyn was set back on her feet and she scampered off stage to Pepper while Tony turned back to the reporters.

"I'll take a few questions from you. It will have to be quick because I have another meeting, but I will take a few." Tony pointed to Christine Everhart.

"Tony, will you be officially adopting Evelyn?"

Tony nodded. "My lawyers are looking into the steps we will need to take to adopt Evelyn officially my daughter. It may take up to a year because of immigration, but I intend to adopt her."

Another question, "Mr. Stark, is it expected that Evelyn will be the next heir to the company?"

Tony shook his head. "Evelyn will be able to freely choose what she does with her life. The company is not her responsibility unless she wants it to be. She is also seven, so I don't see this being pertinent for another eleven years. One more question."

Tony pointed to a CNN reporter in the back, "Tony, what's is like to be a father?"

Tony was silent for a moment, thinking about his answer. He felt nervous and scared all the time, but also so overwhelmed with joy and excited every moment he saw Evelyn. He knew it would be difficult to be a father, but he saw the reward in being a parent like he had never seen it before.

"Honestly, it's terrifying, perhaps the scariest thing I've done. I didn't have a prime example of a father growing up, but every time that little girl walks into a room and calls me "Dad," I'm filled with a happiness I believe only parents can feel. It's a learning curve, but I have a great team to help me, and Pepper to keep me on the right path."

Tony waved to the reporters and headed back off the stage where Pepper and Evelyn were waiting. It was around 1:30pm, and the Avengers had missed lunch. When the others approached Tony inquired if they would like to grab food before their debriefing. The group agreed and it wasn't long until the Avengers with Evelyn and Pepper were walking down the street to find lunch.

"You did good, punk." Clint commented as they walked, Evelyn's hand gripped in his.

Evelyn smiled up at him. "Thank you! Those reporters were nicer than the ones from yesterday."

Bruce chuckled from behind Clint, "Well, these reporters would have to answer to Pepper if they were bad. She probably would have had them fired."

Pepper rolled her eyes. "I can't have them fired." There was a pause. "But I could deny their news outlet primetime updates and scoops. Which may end up getting them fired by their bosses."

The streets were crowded during this time of day, causing the sidewalks to be clustered with people. Natasha, Steve, and Clint were keeping vigilance as they walked, especially since they had Evelyn with them. But it was inevitable that something would happen.

Two teenage boys, who were running down the sidewalk chasing each other, ran right through the group of Avengers and severed Clint's hand from Evelyn's. The momentum knocked Evelyn to the concrete, where she gave disgruntled 'Hey!' Bruce stopped in the crowd and pushed over to Evelyn and placed her back on her feet. Clint rejoined Bruce. Steve and Natasha came up behind them.

"That was rude." Evelyn stated, looking at the adults with an angry expression.

"It sure was." Steve said as he knelt down, grabbing Evelyn's hands gently. "Did you scrape any elbows?"

Evelyn let Steve turn her arms over and there were some minor scrapes on her hands and elbows where she had connected with the concrete. The scrapes were languidly oozing small droplets of blood, but nothing too serious.

"It doesn't look too bad." Steve said, continuing to look over the scrapes. "We'll get you cleaned up at the restaurant."

Evelyn nodded silently and then looked up, squinting into the crowd. "Were did Daddy and Pepper go?"

Natasha looked into the crowd, also noticing that the two had disappeared. She wasn't too surprised they hadn't seen the commotion on the street since they were in the front, but she also expected Tony to be concerned that Evelyn wasn't with them. As she pulled her phone out to call, it rang, with Tony's caller ID.

Natasha answered immediately. "We had a small incident on the sidewalk."

"_Where are you? We stopped at the corner when we realized you weren't behind us anymore. What happened?"_

Natasha looked down the street to the corner and sure enough there were Tony and Pepper, gazing back down the street trying to notice their friends.

"Couple of teenagers tore through the group, knocked Evelyn down. She's alright now. We're headed towards you." Natasha motioned for the others to follow her. Steve swept Evelyn up and placed her on his shoulders and followed behind Natasha.

"_I see you. Tell Rogers to be careful with Evelyn."_ Tony disconnected the phone and in a few short minutes the Avengers were reunited. Pepper noticed the scrapes on Evelyn's arms and frowned.

"Evelyn, sweetie, are you alright?"

Evelyn nodded from atop Steve's shoulders. "These mean kids knocked me away from Clint, but I'm fine now. Steve said we could clean up my scrapes at the restaurant. It doesn't hurt."

Pepper didn't look convinced, but she didn't say anything about it. Tony looked contemplative, but upon seeing Evelyn chattering happily with Steve and pointing at some of the buildings, he figured she really was fine. The Avengers walked a couple more blocks before settling in for lunch. Evelyn was cleaned up and the group went back to their normal bantering. It was looking to be a good afternoon.

What they Avengers failed to notice was the black SUV the teenagers jumped into. They disappeared into the congested New York traffic, lost in the city.

* * *

Louise Johnson sat in her small apartment sewing, the television on in the background. There were pictures decorating her living room from floor to ceiling; pictures of a beautiful young woman with blonde hair, and also a little girl with dark chocolate brown hair. Every now and then Louise would glance up at the pictures sadly. Her daughter, Elise, had died three days ago, and her granddaughter Evelyn had been turned over to Child Protective Services. The old woman was at a loss. Her whole family—gone in a day.

Louise continued sewing until she heard the newscaster, "And now, a recap of the press conference from Tony Stark today."

"Yes, Sarah, it looks like Mr. Stark, aka Iron Man, has important news to share with the world."

Louise watched with interest as video from the conference played while a newscaster did a voiceover. "Today, Tony Stark revealed huge news to the world—that he has a daughter." A picture of Tony holding Evelyn, both smiling at each other, flashed on the screen before the voiceover continued. "Evelyn Johnson, daughter of Elise Johnson, is the daughter of Tony Stark. This is what Tony said about finding out her had a daughter:

'_Two days ago, Child Protective Services in London called me to inform me I was the primary guardian of Evelyn Johnson. Evelyn Johnson is the daughter of Elise Johnson, a British model who lost her life in the London terror attacks this week. I am Evelyn's father._

'_I did not know about Evelyn until now because her mother decided not to tell me about her at the time of her birth. However, Elise Johnson stated in her will that should anything happen to her, I would take on Evelyn's primary caretaking. As per her request, Evelyn has been staying with me here in New York. Today, I would like to introduce you to Evelyn Johnson, my daughter.'_

"There were also questions asked of Evelyn. She stated that she liked living in New York and in Avengers Tower with the other members of the superhero team. When asked about living with Tony, this was her response:

'_Daddy is the best! He has been taking really good care of me. He's funny, but he also is really nice.' Evelyn hugged Tony around the neck. 'Mommy was right when she said that Daddy was a good man.'"_

"Wow, Sarah, did you see the happiness in that little girl's eyes? Who would have thought Tony Stark would have a daughter?"

The news started to sound muffled as Louise stared open mouthed at a picture of Tony and Evelyn on the screen. The father of her precious granddaughter was Tony _Stark_? The infamous playboy? The man who made his billions selling weapons? Louise's sadness was ebbing away into raw anger. How could Elise leave Evelyn to that man?

Louise dropped her sewing and went to her desk. She rustled through countless pages before landing on her lawyer's business card. She took it back to her seat and picked up her cell phone. She dialed the number and waited for someone to answer.

"_Jackson Wallace's office, this is Kristi, how may I help you?"_

"Yes, this is Louise Johnson, Jackson is my attorney. Does he have a moment for me to speak with him?"

There was a pause, followed by the sound of Kristi typing on a computer. _"Yes, give me one moment to transfer you."_

Louise waited only moments before Jackson's voice met her ears. _"Louise! To what do I owe this pleasure?"_

"I want to file for custody of my granddaughter, Evelyn." Louise's voice was firm, which took Jackson by surprise. Usually Louise was calm and laid back.

"_I'll tell you now Louise, custody battles are tough. Especially since Elise's will dictated that Tony Stark be her primary caretaker. Are you sure you want to go through with this?"_

Louise sighed quietly. "You are the best Jackson, you've been my attorney for years. I want my granddaughter back and not being raised by Tony Stark. File the papers."

Jackson paused on the other end of the phone before he finally answered, _"Alright Louise. I'll file the paperwork tonight. It will be a couple of weeks before we know more. International custody battles like this may take time."_

"As long as at the end of this, my granddaughter is back with me, I can wait. Thank you, Jackson."

"_Anytime Louise. I'll keep you updated. You have a nice evening."_

"And you as well." Louise then hung up the phone, looking over her shoulder at the picture of a young Evelyn. The little girl was smiling broadly in all of her pictures, but now all Louise saw was the uncanny resemblance to Tony Stark. _'You will only ever look like him, you will never be him_.'

* * *

Tony sat at the debriefing rubbing his hand across his eyes tiredly. "So the terrorist group who attacked London is just Hydra disguised as a terrorist cell?"

Fury nodded. "Our intelligence has confirmed that Hydra is behind the attack."

"Which means Hydra has been tracking Evelyn since she was born." Natasha supplied. "They've been keeping tabs on her."

Tony chuckled darkly. "Hasn't SHIELD been doing the same thing? What's the difference?"

Natasha glared at Tony. "The difference is that SHIELD doesn't want to hurt her. We've been protecting her and Elise from Hydra."

Steve cut in before Tony could respond, "Look, the point of the matter is that Hydra is the organization after Evelyn, which isn't good. If they manage to kidnap her, there's no telling what they want to do with her."

"But what do we do? Hydra is incredibly adept at hiding from us. She's the safest with all of us there to protect her," Bruce said looking around the table. "Not to mention that Hydra never stays in one location; they hop from place to place. They're hard to track."

Fury answered Bruce. "I want to send Black Widow and Hawkeye out to investigate and gather information. They're the best, and if anyone can find Hydra, it'll be them. I want the rest of you to lay low and be prepared should any attack come up. Stark, what is your plan for Evelyn if you have to leave on a mission?"

"Currently, she's with Pepper at the Tower. In the event Pepper isn't available, we'll drop her off here. I want her to stay with Hill." The other Avengers nodded their support. Maria Hill would protect Evelyn at all costs, and she could be trusted.

Fury raised his eyebrow. "You want my second in command babysitting?"

"You want my daughter in the hands of some junior agent she could outsmart?" Tony fired back. "Either she stays with Hill, or she stays with you."

A vein popped out of Fury's forehead before he relented. "Fine. I'll inform Hill. Hawkeye, Black Widow, you leave tomorrow. Report at 0500."

"Yes sir." The two replied quickly.

Fury swept his gaze across the room once more. "Dismissed."

The Avengers rose from their chairs and made their way back to the Quinjet. No one spoke, each just thinking about the revelations of the debriefing. It was hard to take in, especially since the little girl had wormed her way into all of their hearts in only two days. When they landed back at the Tower, Evelyn was standing by the elevator in her pajamas, bouncing eagerly.

"Pepper said I could wait until you got back to go to bed!" She said in one hurried breath, her smile wide.

Clint pointed down the hall teasingly. "Well off to bed with you."

Evelyn rolled her eyes. "You're not my daddy, or Ms. Pepper, so I don't have to listen to you."

Clint stooped down to Evelyn's level. "Is that a challenge? Because I know just the way to end a challenge."

The Avengers watched from the side and Evelyn crossed her arms over her chest, shifter her weight to one foot, and cocked her head to the side. A superior smirk fell on her face and in that moment she looked just like Tony. "I'm not challenging you. I merely stated the truth and you are indeed the one calling for a challenge. Therefore, you shouldn't attempt to end what you desire to start, for then did you really start it?"

Clint glanced up at Bruce and Tony. "Did either of you decide to get doctorates in philosophy?"

Evelyn scoffed. "I'm smart all on my own, thank you."

Clint raised an eyebrow at Evelyn before he decided to act. He lunged forward, startling Evelyn, and began tickling her. She squealed and tried to get away, but Clint was much bigger than she was. The Avengers laughed as Evelyn begged Clint to stop, but he was relentless. She kicked her feet and tried to run away, but to no avail. After a few minutes, Clint stopped and stood up. He puffed out his chest mockingly.

"I have won the challenge. One point for Clint, zero points for Evelyn." Clint stuck his tongue out at Evelyn. Evelyn did the mature thing and stuck her tongue out too. But then she looked at Tony with big eyes.

"Daddy, Clint said I don't have any points. That's not fair, I'm too little."

Clint looked down at the little girl next to him. "Oh no, don't pull the 'dad card,' he's going to side with you! That's cheating."

"Picking on someone smaller than you is cheating." Evelyn pointed out.

Tony decided to step in before the two could go at it again. "How about Evelyn has three points because she's smarter than Clint?"

Clint's incredulous 'what?!" was drowned out by Evelyn's exclaimed "yay!" Clint sulked over to the other Avengers before Evelyn skipped over and stood next to Tony.

"Alright sweetheart, it's time for bed. Pepper already let you stay up past your bedtime." Tony placed his hand on top of Evelyn's head.

She nodded. "Okay. Can I tell everyone good night?" Tony nodded and Evelyn went around and hugged all of the Avengers. "Goodnight! I'll see you tomorrow!"

Natasha spoke up. "Actually, Clint and I have to go on a mission tomorrow. We'll see you in a couple of weeks."

Evelyn looked disappointed before she nodded in acceptance. "Are you going to go stop the bad guys?"

Clint smiled at Evelyn and nodded. "We sure are. But we'll be back before you know it."

Evelyn hugged Natasha and Clint once more before telling them to be safe. Once they agreed, Evelyn took Tony's hand and they walked down the hall to her bedroom. As Tony was tucking her in, she asked Tony a question.

"Daddy, are Clint and Natasha going to be okay?"

Tony nodded. "They're the best at what they do. And they promised to be extra safe so that they could come back and see you." Tony watched Evelyn think about the information.

"You can't promise they'll be okay because you don't know either." Her conclusion was spot on, but she didn't seem angry about it. She was becoming resigned to the fact that superheroes couldn't make promises. Not that she wanted them too—broken promises hurt more than the truth.

Tony smiled sadly, his lips turned up slightly in the corners but his eyes melancholy. "That's part of the job as an Avenger honey. We can't always know the outcome."

Evelyn yawned and nodded. She laid on her side and looked at Tony. "But you always try to come back, right?"

"Always." Tony said confidently. "I promise I will always try to make sure I come back."

Evelyn nodded tiredly. "Okay. Goodnight Daddy, I love you."

"Goodnight Evie, I love you too." Tony kissed Evelyn on the head and sat until her breathing deepened. He stood quietly and left her room. He went back down the hall to the living room.

Tony looked at Clint and Natasha. "Evelyn asks that you try extra hard to come back safely."

Clint saluted. "Aye, aye Captain. Consider it done." Natasha rolled her eyes at Clint but nodded.

"We'll do our best."

"I think we should head to bed. It's been a long day. Clint, Natasha we'll see you in two weeks." Steve inclined his head. "Goodnight everyone."

Once Steve left, the others quickly muttered goodnights and disappeared into their rooms. The next two weeks would be important—Clint and Natasha were gathering information that could help them not only protect Evelyn but take out the remnants of Hydra.


	8. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

Louise Johnson stepped out into the humid air of New York. She was affronted by the noise, the heat, and the sheer number of people at the La Guardia Airport. She turned her gaze to the skyline and pinpointed Avengers Tower. Her heart ached; her precious granddaughter was there, in that Tower. Had she thought about her grandmother? Had she even thought of her mother? Evelyn had not been present at the funeral, which Louise found astonishing.

"Ready Louise?" Jackson was a tall, thin man with jet black hair and bright blue eyes. His calculating eyes swept over the New York skyline as they exited the airport.

Louise nodded. "Let's get my granddaughter back."

* * *

The past two weeks at Avengers Tower had been relatively easy. Once Clint and Natasha left, the remaining Avengers fell into a routine. Everyone morning they would eat breakfast, then Evelyn would go to the lab with Bruce and Tony and do some grade appropriate workbooks so that she could keep her mind sharp for when school began in a couple of weeks.

After lunch, Bruce would work on advanced math with Evelyn while Steve, Tony, and Thor would run team scenarios and spar. After sparring had finished, Steve and Thor would take Evelyn to the park down the street where she would play with her friends. Tony would use the time to research schools, pediatricians, and anything else the internet said he needed to do. He'd filed his adoption papers and worked out Evelyn's immigration.

At the end of the first week, Tony and Pepper had decided on sending Evelyn to the public school nearby. As it turned out, all of her friends at the park went there as well, and she was excited to be going to school with them. Evelyn was scheduled to take an exam at the end of the week to determine which grade she would be placed in. Tony wanted her to stay with kids her age in order to have a normal school experience, but she had already been slated to skip some grades in England.

It was the end of the two weeks that Clint and Natasha said they would be gone. Evelyn had been excited all week, talking nonstop about 'Uncle Clint' and 'Aunt Natasha.' That had been quite the development. At the end of her first week in the Tower, Evelyn had called Steve 'uncle' and shocked the men in the Tower. Evelyn had attached and integrated easily into the family, and even dubbed the Avengers as her aunts and uncles. They weren't sure if that was normal, but they weren't complaining if she had made that decision on her own.

Steve had been delighted, and Bruce had been slightly terrified. Thor was the hardest one—he was thoroughly confused by the idea of an 'uncle' and after an hour of explanation, he got it. He then took to calling Tony, Steve, and Bruce 'brother,' which made Evelyn laugh. She knew that the Avengers weren't actually blood related to her, but she wanted them to know how highly she thought of them.

So when Clint and Natasha, exhausted from their mission, finally stumbled into the Tower around Evelyn's bedtime, her exclamation of 'Auntie Natasha' and 'Uncle Clint' threw them for a loop.

"What did she call me?" Clint looked somewhat blearily at Tony.

"I called you Uncle Clint!" Evelyn ran forward and gave Clint a gentle hug. "And Auntie Natasha! Because we're a family!"

Natasha smiled and knelt down to give Evelyn a proper hug. "We sure are. Isn't it past your bedtime? I can tell that the others have gone to bed."

Tony chuckled from the kitchen. "She outlasted Bruce and Steve. Thor left this morning to go to New Mexico to visit Jane and Dr. Selvig."

Evelyn nodded. "Uncle Bruce is a lightweight. He likes to go to bed early. And Uncle Steve is just old fashioned."

Clint laughed and ruffled Evelyn's hair. "You better head off to bed though. I hear you have a big test tomorrow."

Evelyn sighed. "They don't know which grade to put me in." Evelyn looked over her shoulder at Tony. "Do I have to go to bed?"

Tony raised an eyebrow, giving Natasha the impression that Tony and Evelyn had had this argument many times over the last two weeks. Evelyn sighed and her shoulders sagged. "Okay, I'm going." With one more round of hugs and goodnights, Evelyn went down the hallway to her bedroom. Once her door clicked shut, Tony looked at Clint and Natasha.

"You look worse for wear. Everything go alright?"

Clint and Natasha shared a look, having a silent discussion, before looking at Tony in unison. "We managed to download some of their intel before we wiped their computers; figured it was better to erase what they had on Evelyn than to leave it floating in the ether. I'd have JARVIS analyze it to make sense of it as soon as you can: the more we know the easier it'll be to stop them from coming after her here."

"But they knew we were there." Clint added, rubbing the back of his neck. "They blew the building and were gone again. We tried to track them, but we lost them. Trail went cold."

Tony nodded, approaching Natasha who had presented a thumb drive. "Identify anyone?"

Both assassins shook their head. Tony nodded and flipped the thumb drive. "I'll get on this. You go get some sleep. Breakfast is at 8:00am. New routine or whatever. Bruce said it was good for kids."

Natasha smiled, something Tony was unfamiliar with. "Look you at you being a father."

Tony gave her a light glare as response before he turned and headed toward the elevator. "Thanks for coming back in one piece—she asked about you two every day." With those parting words Tony disappeared and the assassins went to their rooms.

The next morning, the Avengers ate breakfast and Evelyn eagerly filled in Clint and Natasha on all they had missed. They learned that she would be going to school right down the street and were happy to hear that her friends would all be there as well.

"Ms. Pepper said she was going to take me shopping for school clothes and supplies!" Evelyn ate a forkful of French toast. "Ms. Pepper is really nice. She's taking the whole day off! That's a big deal because she runs the whole company; Daddy is even going to help her out by doing some paperwork for her while she's gone."

"It sounds like you had an eventful two weeks." Natasha said as she sipped her orange juice. "No time to miss us."

Evelyn's eyes widened as Bruce and Steve facepalmed. They knew Natasha was goading the child, teasing her as was Avengers nature, but she really did not know just how much Evelyn missed them.

"Oh, she missed you." Steve said, glancing at the child who was still speechless. "With Clint gone, she picks on me."

Clint pointed at Steve and gave an indignant 'ha!' while Bruce nodded in agreeance. "JARVIS, how many times did Evelyn ask if they were okay?"

"My records indicate 1,258 times." JARVIS answered, a hint of amusement in his tone.

"I was worried." Evelyn meekly defended herself. "I didn't want something to happen to you."

Tony spoke up. "We know Princess, they're just teasing. Now finish your breakfast, Pepper is on her way up to take you to your test." Evelyn nodded and went back to finishing her eggs. The Avengers chatted and started cleaning up breakfast; by the time they finished, Pepper had arrived.

"Ms. Pepper!" Evelyn exclaimed and jumped up from her chair. "Are you ready to go?"

Pepper gave Evelyn a hug as she laughed. "I am as soon as you put your shoes on and brush your teeth."

Evelyn bolted from the kitchen and down the hallway without any further prompting. She quickly brushed her teeth and pulled on her sandals. When Evelyn returned, she saw the Avengers standing around the kitchen island laughing and talking to each other. She stopped in the doorway and grinned happily as she watched her new family. Evelyn still felt sad at times about her mother, but she was also learning that she could still find happiness with her daddy and his friends (her new family).

Evelyn finally made her presence known. "I'm ready!" Her hair hung down around her shoulders and bounced when she bounded over to take Pepper's hand.

"Just like that, she's leaving us." Clint harrumphed childishly, looking a Natasha with a melancholy expression. "It's not like we were gone for two weeks or anything."

Tony rolled his eyes. "Clint, quit picking on my kid. She has to go kill the curve on this exam and skip straight to high school." Tony winked at Evelyn at the end of his statement before he set his coffee cup down. "Alright squirt, be good for Pepper and have fun, alright?"

Evelyn gave Tony a big hug. "I will! I love you daddy!"

"I love you too." Tony kissed Evelyn's forehead. "Alright, get out of here."

Just as Pepper and Evelyn reached the elevator, the doors swished open to reveal Happy accompanied by two adults. Pepper stopped short and raised and inquisitive eyebrow at Happy, while Evelyn's face broke into a huge grin and she bolted into the elevator.

"Grandma! I didn't know you were coming to visit! Why didn't you call?" Evelyn's voice reached the Avengers and all eyes turned to Tony, who looked just as confused. He turned his confused gaze to Happy, who shook his head with a warning look on his face. Tony knew instantly this was not going to be an enjoyable conversation.

Happy exited the elevator as an elderly woman followed, Evelyn held tightly in her arms. Next to the woman was a young man with dark hair and blue eyes. Tony immediately knew something bad was coming considering the fact he could spot a lawyer a mile away, or in this case, twenty feet in front of him. The elderly woman turned and looked at Tony with something akin to hate. Elise's mother…what was her name? Ah, Louise.

"Well darling, I had to take care of a few things. And by the time I did, I was told you'd moved to New York." Louise's tone sounded pleased to the untrained ear, but the Avengers heard the disapproving undertones.

"It's very nice here, Grandma! Let me introduce you to everyone." Evelyn grabbed Louise's hand and brought her directly in front of Tony and Pepper. "Grandma, this is Ms. Pepper, she runs Stark Industries and is taking me out this afternoon. She's very smart Grandma, you'd love her. And this is Daddy! Did you ever meet Daddy when he dated Mommy? He's been taking really good care of me."

Pepper smiled and extended her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Johnson."

Louise extended her hand as well. "Please, call me Louise. It's nice to meet you." Louise then turned her gaze to Tony. She extended her hand again. "Mr. Stark."

Tony shook her hand and smiled a small, but genuine smile. "Louise, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. Elise always said she got her looks from her mother, and I'd have to say I'd agree."

Evelyn giggled, while Louise just continued to stare. "I'm surprised you and Elise ever spoke about me, considering you never once stepped foot in our home."

Tony raised an eyebrow before flicking his eyes down to Evelyn, who was beginning to sense an odd tension. "Elise always spoke highly of her mother, believe me, she loved you dearly."

Before Evelyn could continue on in the introductions, Pepper broke in. "This has been lovely, and I would really love to continue chatting, but Evelyn has a meeting at the school down the street. Do you mind if we go, and then maybe we can all meet up for lunch afterwards?"

Louise smiled tightly at the mention of the school, but nodded in consent. "That sounds lovely. Evelyn, you go with Ms. Pepper. Behave young lady."

Evelyn nodded before hugging her grandma tightly. "I will Grandma! I love you!" Evelyn and Pepper stepped into the elevator, and as it closed, Evelyn waved excitedly before her excited words became muffled by the elevator doors. Once she was gone, an icy tension filled the Avengers common floor.

"Louise, I take it this isn't purely a social visit." Tony stated calmly, falling into a relaxed, yet confident stance.

The lawyer stepped in. "Mr. Stark, you may speak directly to me. I'm Jackson Wallace, and I represent Louise Johnson. You've been served." Jackson pulled documents out of his briefcase and attempted to hand them to Tony.

Tony took a step back while Natasha came forward, almost as if she was still his assistant. As Natasha intercepted the documents, Tony said, "I don't like to be handed things." He waited a moment before taking the documents from Natasha and quickly read through them. "You're filing for custody of Evelyn?"

Clint looked as if his feathers had been ruffled. "You can't do that, Tony is her biological father and hasn't given up parental rights. You have no grounds."

Jackson smiled similarly to a snake, his teeth showing over thin lips. "Mrs. Johnson and I believe Evelyn is in an unsafe and dangerous environment. We also believe the character of Tony Stark is not that of a father; he is an unfit father and the child's well-being is in danger. We have grounds to file for custody, and your own court system has agreed to these filings."

Tony continued reading and finally looked up at Louise. "You really want to put Evelyn through this? Elise wanted me to take care of Evelyn, not you. She would have left Evelyn in your care in her will if that was the case."

"You don't know what it's like, Tony Stark, to lose everything in a day." Louise spoke fiercely as her eyes glittered with tears. "You took my precious daughter away from England, then God took her from me. And now you're taking my granddaughter. I will not allow you to continue taking people from me."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "I don't know what it's like?" His voice was dangerous, and the other Avengers felt uneasy. Tony usually wasn't an angry individual, but now he sounded downright furious. "I know what it's like, believe me. I spent three months in a cave attached to a car battery—it really gives you time to think. So don't lecture me. You're doing this out of selfishness and inability to accept Elise's wishes. If you want a fight, you've got one. I'll see you in court, now get out of my tower."

Louise looked gobsmacked, but Happy began ushering them out. "You heard him; time to leave the premises. If you wish to return, please call and set up an appointment." When the elevator shut, Tony dropped his stance and seemed to slump into himself as he continued reading the documents. The more he read, the more he felt a hole opening up in his stomach.

"They can't do this can they?" Clint asked, voice seething. "The will said you were the primary guardian and caretaker of Evelyn, they can't possibly argue with her mother."

Bruce shook his head sadly. "They can if they have grounds to show Tony is an unfit father or that the environment is unsafe for a child. But it doesn't matter on whether or not they can do this because it's already happening. What we need to focus on is what can we do to prepare."

All eyes turned to Tony, waiting on his command. He'd finally looked up from his reading and made eye contact with his friends. He could see support and loyalty, a desperation to help protect the youngest member of their new family. He also knew they could see his fear of losing Evelyn and his determination to keep her. These conflicting emotions swirled and twisted in his mind and heart, circling through his system like a terrible drug. But Tony needed to get a grip, and start thinking a way out of it.

"First thing's first, I need to get my lawyers in here. I'm going to probably call for a family law attorney from the state as well. Until I've met with my lawyers, the only thing you can really do is keep it quiet around Evelyn. We don't need her freaking out." Tony slipped his phone from his pocket. "I'll keep you updated."

Tony left the other Avengers standing in the living room and headed to his workshop. By the time he made it there, his attorney picked up. "Layla, we've got a problem."


	9. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight**

Evelyn and Pepper exited Avengers Tower into the bright sun and bustling streets of New York. Evelyn smiled up at Pepper and took her hand. Today was turning out to be the best day ever in Evelyn's opinion. She first got to have breakfast with all the members of her new family, then her grandmother came by to surprise her. Evelyn knew her exam was going to go well, and she was looking forward to spending time with Pepper shopping for school supplies. Nothing could dampen this day.

"Ms. Pepper, are we really going to get lunch with my grandma after my exam?" Evelyn watched the people passing by as she waited for an answer.

Pepper grinned down at the little girl. "I'm sure we can try. I'll give her a call while you're in your exam and we can see if she's available."

Evelyn whooped in excitement, eager to see her grandma once again. It had been a long time since Evelyn had seen her, and she realized that she did miss spending time with her grandma. She also felt sad that she hadn't thought to call her or write her a letter. She made a mental note to set up weekly phone calls with her grandma when she got back to the Tower. She figured her daddy could have JARVIS set a reminder.

Soon enough Pepper and Evelyn arrived at the school. They entered through the front doors and entered an office. Evelyn noticed a long hallway stretching from left to right, as well as a staircase in the middle of the main lobby. She watched Pepper interact with the receptionist who told them to go down the hallway to the second door on the right for the exam. They walked in silence as Evelyn observed her surroundings. Artwork decorated the hallways, adding color to the otherwise dull space. Inside the classrooms Evelyn saw clusters of desks and chairs, cubbies, and large open spaces. The rooms seemed a little young for Evelyn, so she assumed that she would be in a different part of the building.

"Alright sweetie, this is your room. I'm going to be right out here when you finish up, okay?" Pepper knelt down in front of Evelyn to give her a proper hug. "Do your best, okay? Everyone will be proud no matter what grade you get put into."

"I'm going to kill the curve!" She exclaimed happily before giving Pepper a kiss on the cheek. "Don't forget to call Grandma!" With those parting words, Evelyn darted into the room. Seconds later, the door closed.

Pepper took a seat across from the room and pulled out her phone. She texted Tony.

Pepper: _Evelyn wants to have lunch with her grandmother, but I definitely did not get a good feeling. Should I still call?  
_Tony: _I'll have JARVIS send over their hotel information and contact information. Don't keep Evelyn from her grandmother; they miss each other._

Pepper thought on that before she sent her next message.

Pepper: _What did Louise and that man want?  
_Tony: _She's taking me to court over custody of Evelyn._

Pepper stared open mouthed at her phone for a moment. The will had clearly stated that Tony would be Evelyn's caretaker—she had read it herself. Hell, their lawyers had combed through it as well to ensure it was true and legal. This was impossible, how could Louise put Evelyn through this?

Tony: _Don't tell Evelyn. We're going to keep doing things like nothing has changed until we have to tell her. Make sure she enjoys her day out, because in the next couple of weeks things are going to get crazy._

After that message, Pepper received contact information and hotel location for Louise and her attorney. She called and set up lunch plans for a restaurant right outside the hotel. Pepper sat and answered some work emails and before long, Evelyn bounded out of the room and a paper in her hand.

"I'm going to the third grade! And I get to go to the honors high school math class!" Evelyn gave Pepper the sheet so that they could finish registering her for her classes.

"Well let's go to the office and finish your registration, shall we? But first, hold it up so we can get a picture." Evelyn smiled broadly for the picture and then Pepper sent it to the Avengers. Clint called while they were in the office, so Pepper passed the phone to Evelyn while Pepper signed some paperwork.

"No, Uncle Clint, this is not a prank. I'm going to be in honors high school math!...You're just jealous that you can't do math like I can…Well maybe you should have Bruce tutor you…I'm not going to tutor you! Natasha says it's bad to teach you things…Because you're a featherhead and doofus, according to Natasha and Daddy." Evelyn giggled and held the phone away from her ear and offered it to Pepper. "Uncle Clint needs to learn to take a joke."

"Bye Clint, go study your times tables," Pepper said before hanging up. "So, we're going to take the subway to meet your grandma for lunch! And then we're going shopping."

Evelyn grinned in excitement. "Thank you for calling, Ms. Pepper! I can't wait to show her this." Evelyn waved the paper in the air. "She's going to be so proud. And I know my mommy would be proud too."

Pepper ruffled Evelyn's hair as they exited the school and turned down the street to catch the subway. "I know she would be too. I have a feeling she's been proud of you since the day you were born."

Evelyn squeezed Pepper's hand in response and offered a smile. Pepper returned the smile and the two continued on their journey in silence. Evelyn quietly observed the people in the subway and the took note of all the kinds of people she saw. She noticed men, women, and children crowded in every space they could. She heard different languages being spoken into phones and noticed different bag sizes from the tiniest purse to the largest cello case. Evelyn was enthralled by the diversity around her and was sad to step off the train.

The two walked a few blocks before entering a small diner across the street from a towering hotel. Evelyn looked around before spotting her grandmother seated in a booth along the windows. Evelyn sprinted over and hopped up next to her grandmother.

"Grandma! I'm going to be in the third grade, and I get to take honors high school math, look!" Evelyn thrust the paper into Louise's hands and grinned. "Daddy said I was going to kill the curve, and I definitely did."

Pepper smiled as she took a seat across from the two. Louise responded with slightly forced enthusiasm. "That is wonderful honey, I'm sure that school is just great. But not as good as your old school."

Evelyn shrugged. "I don't know yet, school starts next week. But Daddy said that if it's not the same, that doesn't mean it's not good. It's just different and it'll be like an adventure."

Louise's smile got a little tight at the mention of Tony, but Pepper kept politely perusing the menu, listening to Evelyn chatter on excitedly about the city. While waiting for the waitress to take their orders, Louise finally turned to Pepper.

"So Pepper, Evelyn tells me you're the CEO of Stark Industries. What's that like?" Louise sipped her water while waiting for a response.

Pepper chuckled. "Being a female executive in a male-dominated field certainly has its challenges. But I have found a way to build strong relationships, especially for our medical research division. We're also expanding into green energy, and a woman's touch is just the thing for wiggling into the industry."

"Ms. Pepper is the boss. She calls the shots at work and at home. The Avengers all fear Ms. Pepper if they break something." Evelyn elaborated as she colored the child's menu in.

Louise nodded. "And how is working for Mr. Stark? He still owns the controlling interest in the company and the last say on most business deals."

Pepper looked out the window at the passerby's as her heart fluttered slightly before she responded. "Tony is great to work with. He may avoid deadlines like the plague, and he may be eccentric, but his inventions are saving lives and cutting costs. And in general, he has a big heart. He just keeps it hidden. But he's getting better at opening up."

Evelyn bobbed her head up and down, still coloring. "Mommy said that Daddy was always a good man, but that people didn't see it. I hope more people see it, because I do. Grandma, you should really get to know Daddy."

Louise gave Evelyn a side hug. "Well, honey, your daddy hasn't always been a good man. But I guess I could give him a chance." Pepper heard the lie in the last statement, but she didn't call the older woman out on it. "What would you like to eat, sweetheart?"

Evelyn flipped over the children's menu and read it before she pointed to her grandmother. "May I have the chicken tenders with a fruit cup, Grandma?"

"Of course, sweetheart. Would you like some milk as well?" Louise asked as the waitress approached, ready to take their orders.

"Yes, please." Evelyn grinned and turned to the waitress. "Good afternoon!"

The waitress smiled. "Good afternoon, ladies' day out?" The waitress looked between Louise, Pepper, and Evelyn.

Louise nodded as she spoke. "Of sorts. I'm visiting my granddaughter here. She's recently moved here from London."

The waitress's eyes widened, and she looked at Evelyn. "You've only just moved to New York? How do you like it so far?"

"It is amazing!" Evelyn gushed, looking to Pepper. "I got to ride the subway today, and there are so many different kinds of people! I love it here."

"Well I'm glad you like it so much. Now what can I get you ladies to eat?" The waitress lifted up her notepad and quickly scribbled down their orders. "Alright, I'll have that out to you soon."

Louise and Evelyn played a game of tic-tac-toe on Evelyn's menu. After the game, Evelyn announced she needed to use the bathroom, and the women let her go on her own. Pepper had a feeling that Louise had something to say to her. Pepper sipped her coffee as Evelyn got out of the booth and walked to the bathroom.

"I imagine Mr. Stark has already informed you of why I am here in New York." Louise looked coldly into Pepper's eyes. "And I hope you know that at the end of a few weeks, Evelyn will be returning to London with me."

Pepper arched an eyebrow. "Mrs. Johnson, are you sure that this is a good idea? Evelyn has been through a lot, and she is doing well here. Tony would be more than happy to let her come visit for summers and vacations."

Louise rolled her eyes. "Mr. Stark is not the most responsible individual in the world; I highly doubt his ability to raise a child. And I do not believe he is willing to share Evelyn with me. He is greedy and selfish. But there is more to this than just Mr. Stark. Those 'heroes' are a danger to my Evelyn. And you can be rest assured that my attorney and I will bring that to light."

Pepper opened her mouth to respond, but the waitress returned with their food and Evelyn exited the bathroom. Pepper thanked the waitress and the women ate in silence. Pepper wanted to respond to Louise's poorly veiled threat. What exactly was she going to use against the Avengers? Their career is dangerous, sure, but there are plenty of other careers that are also dangerous. Pepper decided she would discuss this with the Avengers when she returned.

Too soon for Louise's liking did lunch end. Pepper paid for the whole meal, insisting that Tony wanted to treat them. The women were now standing outside in the humidity, and Evelyn and Louise were sharing one last hug.

"Bye Grandma! We definitely need to have lunch again before you leave!" Evelyn squeezed tightly. "You should come to the Tower! Despite Clint being a featherhead, he is actually an excellent cook."

Louise chuckled as she set Evelyn down on the ground. "We'll see, okay? Now go have fun with Ms. Pepper. We will definitely be seeing each other soon, okay sweetheart?"

Evelyn nodded before taking Pepper's hand. With one final wave, the group parted ways. Pepper and Evelyn headed to some shops where they first got Evelyn new school clothes so that she didn't have to wear all of her old school uniforms. Evelyn picked out some nice sundresses and shorts. They got her a few shirts as well and a couple of sweaters for her to take in case she got cold.

Then, the two went to pick out her school supplies. She already had a backpack, but she needed binders, notebooks, pencils, and the usual horde of supplies. In addition, she needed a graphing calculator that the school allowed. Evelyn frowned as Pepper picked it up.

"I don't need a calculator." Evelyn stated matter-of-factly.

Pepper raised her eyebrow. "Are you sure you don't?"

Evelyn scrunched her nose up. "I do it in my head, it's faster."

Pepper still got the calculator. "I'm buying it anyway in case the teacher requires it, okay?" Evelyn shrugged and allowed Pepper to get the calculator.

The rest of the trip was smooth sailing, and after stopping for some ice cream, the two women were on their way back to the Tower. They entered the living room, which was uncharacteristically void of activity. Pepper frowned as she stepped further into the room. No one was in the kitchen or sitting in the living room.

"JARVIS, where is everyone?" Pepper called as she set the bags she had on the ground. Evelyn went to the bathroom to wash her hands, intending to come back and help Pepper carry her things to her room.

"Dr. Banner and Sir are in the labs, and Captain Rogers and Agents Barton and Romanoff are in the gym." JARVIS replied. "Would you like me to summon them?"

Pepper shook her head. "No, I don't need them. But would let Tony know that we've returned?"

"Certainly, Ms. Potts."

Pepper turned as Evelyn returned to the living room. "Alright, let's put everything away before everyone comes back up. What do you think we should have for dinner?"

As the two walked down the hall with Evelyn's new clothes and supplies, she thought about dinner. "I don't know! What would you like?"

Pepper chuckled, ruffling Evelyn's hair. "Well I asked you, silly. I don't know what I want either."

The two continued to think as Pepper folded and hung up Evelyn's clothes, while Evelyn organized her school supplies and placed them in her backpack. Suddenly, Evelyn grinned. "What about Indian food? I love curry chicken."

Pepper made a face. "It's so spicy!"

Evelyn grinned wickedly, "I love spicy food! It's like me—it packs a punch." Pepper laughed heartily before hugging Evelyn tightly.

"Sweetheart, you are too funny. JARVIS, place an order for the best Indian food in the area."

* * *

It wasn't until around 6:00pm that the Avengers returned to the upper levels of the Tower. Steve, Natasha, and Clint all appeared to have just returned from showering, their hair still damp. Tony appeared to have been rolling around in grease, and Bruce looked slightly disheveled from bustling around running tests. Tony came up behind Evelyn, who was reading a book on the couch, and yelled "Boo!" in her ear. She screeched, throwing her arms above her head and whacked Tony in the nose with her book. The other Avengers, who were preparing their drinks for dinner and setting out plates saw the whole thing and howled with laughter.

Evelyn turned around to see Tony clutching his nose tenderly and she looked apologetic. "I'm so sorry, Daddy! I thought you were a bad guy!"

Tony pulled his hand away from his nose and seeing an absence of blood he dropped his hands. "Well, I'll give it ya kid, you have a nice arm."

Clint was still full belly laughing in the kitchen. "That was the greatest thing I've seen all day!"

Pepper entered from down the hall and rolled her eyes at Tony. "Tony, go change. You are not eating all covered in grease like that. And why is Clint laughing like a hyena?"

This only caused Clint to laugh harder, and Tony to glare at him. Natasha quietly filled Pepper in. She rolled her eyes. "Evelyn, dinner is ready. Tony, go wash up."

It wasn't long before Tony rejoined the others at the table for dinner. The group was catching each other up on their day. Bruce was just finishing up explaining some of his most recent experiments, to which Evelyn was energetically asking questions about. She was firing inquiries left and right, creating a tennis match affect for all that were watching. As she opened her mouth to ask another question, Natasha cut in.

"So Evie, how was your day? I hear we have a third-grader in our midst?"

Evelyn grinned at Natasha. "I'm going to be in the third grade and in the high school math classes! I'm the only third grader who gets to go to the high school math class."

Steve, ever the polite one, followed up with, "How was lunch with your grandmother? I know you were eager to see her this afternoon."

"Grandma was so happy to see me! And I think she likes Ms. Pepper, too." Evelyn turned and looked at Tony. "Daddy, can we set up a time on Sundays where I can call Grandma? I think she misses me, and a weekly phone call would make her feel better."

Tony smiled at Evelyn and nodded before answering, "Of course, honey. JARVIS, set a reminder for every Sunday morning to call Mrs. Johnson."

"Yes, Sir," JARVIS responded.

Dinner passed with more banter and explanations of how everyone spent their day. When the adults got up to wash dishes, Evelyn was dismissed to take her bath and get ready for bed. She'd been allowed to stay up the night before to wait for Natasha and Clint, but tonight she would be going to bed at her normal bedtime.

As the Avengers washed dishes and cleared the table, Pepper decided to tell them what Louise said about the Avengers being a danger to Evelyn. Pepper relayed all she could about their lunch meeting to the others. Pepper was beginning to get a bad feeling about this upcoming trial.

Tony sighed heavily, running his hand down his face. He truly looked tired to Pepper. He'd only been a father for two and half weeks, but in this moment he looked as if it had been years.

"Don't worry, Tony," Clint said as he finished drying a plate. "You've got the best lawyers in the country, and they can't really argue against Elise's last wish for her daughter."

Tony shrugged. "I've got a lot of bad character traits and incidents they can pull from to say I'm unfit." Tony chuckled darkly. "The deck is stacked against me this time."

Before the conversation could continue, Evelyn came back into the living room to tell everyone good night. She stopped at the doorway though when she felt the tense energy. She looked around nervously when no one addressed her, Evelyn began twisting her pajama top anxiously.

"Daddy?" Evelyn sounded timid, which was never used to describe the young girl before, but it certainly garnered everyone's attention.

Tony turned and plastered on a big smile for his daughter before addressing her, "Hey Princess, ready for bed?"

She nodded nervously, before running up to him. She squeezed him in a tight hug. "Is something wrong? Am I in trouble?"

The adults shared a look, wondering if Tony should just go ahead and tell Evelyn what was happening. Tony looked down at Evelyn a while, analyzing his daughter and debated on what he should tell her. He finally sighed deeply held his hand out to Evelyn.

"No sweetheart, you aren't in trouble. Let's go get you in bed and we can talk about it there, okay?"

Evelyn nodded and followed Tony down the hall to her room. He scooped her up and set her under her covers and tucked her in. He sat on the edge of the bed next to Evelyn and smiled at her. Tony wasn't planning on telling Evelyn about her grandmother's intentions yet, but Evelyn was perceptive and would just keep trying to figure it out on her own.

Evelyn fidgeted nervously. "Daddy? Are you going to tell me now?"

Tony chuckled. "Patience is a virtue, kiddo. But yes, I'm going to tell you now. Your grandma is here to take me to court."

"But why?" Evelyn frowned and tilted her head to the side.

"She doesn't want you living with me. She wants you to live with her; she thinks it's safer."

Evelyn shook her head quickly. "No, I want to stay here. I love it here."

Tony smiled sadly at Evelyn. "I know sweetheart, but I can't stop her from filing the claims. She just really loves you and wants you back with her."

"No! Mommy wanted you to take care of me and she wanted me to know you. I want to stay here." Evelyn's eyes welled with tears and she sucked in gasping breaths to try and remain calm, "I love you and I love everyone, don't make me leave."

Tony quickly hugged Evelyn tightly. "Sweetie, I promise I will do everything I can to keep you here. If there's a way to keep you here, I will keep you here. But the courts are in charge of that. We can only do what we're told. You shouldn't worry about this, okay? Let me handle this. We'll take care of you."

Evelyn sniffled a few minutes more, gripping Tony's shirt tightly. She couldn't understand why her grandma would want to take her away from her dad, the man she's asked about her whole life. She loved her grandma, but she also loved her dad. She eventually calmed down and looked back up at her dad.

Evelyn could see the sadness in Tony's eyes as well—he didn't want her to leave either. Evelyn hugged Tony tightly once more. "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, kiddo. I love you so much." Tony kissed Evelyn's forehead. "Now sleep. We have only a few more days left before you start school. We need to make the most of them."

Evelyn nodded as she kissed Tony's cheek and snuggled down into her blankets. Tony made sure she was sleeping before leaving her room. He shut the door quietly and walked back down to the kitchen where the others were still waiting for him. Someone had had enough sense to brew fresh coffee.

"How did she take it?" Clint asked knowingly.

Tony just took a large sip of his coffee before replying, "As well as any kid, I guess. She's not happy by any means."

"She's strong." Steve spoke softly, "She'll be okay no matter what happens. Is there anything we can do?"

Tony shrugged, lost on what any of them can do. "I don't think so. Just be prepared for that attorney to subpoena you as a witness. And try to keep things normal for Evelyn. She's gonna need normal." Tony took a long sip of his coffee, staring out over the cityscape. He must have zoned out because when he next looked to the kitchen, he was alone. He sighed before finishing his coffee and placing the mug in the dishwasher.

Tony was unsure about the next couple of weeks, fearful they could be his last with Evelyn. But he realized as he peeked into her room once more that he couldn't solve anything in that one evening. He quietly closed the door before heading to bed. The next few days were going to go by too quickly for him.

_**Sorry for the delay! I recently started back up and school and had to move three states north. Please let me know how you're enjoying the story and Evelyn! Kind constructive criticism is accepted as well; I'm always looking to improve. ~Writer-at-Heart0**_


	10. Chapter Nine

**Chapter Nine**

Tony was right—the next few days went too soon. It was now Monday, and Tony sat at the breakfast table with Evelyn as she prepared to head to her very first day of third grade. She was dressed in a blue sundress with two pigtail braids in her hair. She was uncharacteristically quiet, eating her cereal silently. She hadn't even picked on Clint when he presented her with her school lunch. Tony looked at his daughter and it finally hit him that she was nervous.

"Princess, you almost ready?" Tony asked as he stood up from the table to put his dishes away.

Evelyn nodded, rising from the table to place her dishes in the sink. "Yeah, let me go grab my backpack." She walked slowly from the kitchen and Tony heaved another sigh. He was also nervous, and he hoped Evelyn couldn't tell that he was. He didn't want his energy to dampen her experience.

When she returned, the two set out for the school. She held his hand the whole time and when they were on the street, Tony decided to try a pep talk.

"Someone seems nervous." He said casually, squeezing Evelyn's hand. "Afraid you won't know anyone?"

Evelyn shrugged. "I'm worried the kids won't like me."

"Why wouldn't they like you? I like you! Even Clint likes you, and he teases you." Tony tried to get her to smile, but she frowned.

"I'm not from around here. I have an accent. And I'll be younger than all of the other kids in my class. Which makes me smaller than them…and what if the high school kids are mean to me?" Evelyn's voice had increasingly become hysteric as she spoke, causing Tony to pause in their walk and kneel down in front of her.

"Evelyn Marie, you are not defined by your accent or where you are from. You are an intelligent little girl with a huge heart. You are incredibly kind, and I just know that when you come home today, you will have made three friends. You are naturally this beautiful light that people want to be around. Don't let other people's opinions bog you down, okay?"

Evelyn nodded, a determined fire finally entering her brown eyes. "Did you ever feel nervous going to school Daddy?"

As they continued walking, Tony nodded. "I did. I was also the youngest in all of my classes. I was afraid it would be hard to make friends. But you know what? I just smiled and was nice to people. That's how I made friends."

Evelyn smiled and squeezed Tony's hand tightly. "Really? I didn't know you were the youngest in your classes too!"

"I was smart like you when I was young." Tony paused outside the doors to the school. "I was moved up in grades and ended up being the youngest. Ready to head inside?"

Evelyn looked up at the doors. She felt slight apprehension coil in her tummy, but she grinned up at Tony. "I'm ready! Will you walk me in?"

Tony nodded and smiled. "Of course, lead the way!"

Tony and Evelyn entered the school, a myriad of other students and parents circling around them. Older students made their way upstairs to the upper levels, while parents herded younger children down the left or right hallways to their classes. Evelyn found signs directing her to the third grade classrooms and she tugged Tony down the hall. Soon enough, they stood outside of room 303.

Tony watched as parents hugged their children before leaving, and as other kids began eagerly talking to each other. Evelyn squeezed his hand again, but before he could smile reassuringly at his daughter, the teacher popped up.

"Hello and good morning! I'm Mrs. Radcliffe, welcome to the third grade!" The woman was small, blonde, and perky—perfect for a third-grade teacher. Her accent indicated she was a native of Brooklyn, and she most likely has lived in New York her whole life.

Tony slipped into father mode without knowing it. "Good morning Mrs. Radcliffe, I'm Tony Stark, and this is my daughter Evelyn. Today is her first day, and she's a little nervous."

A petulant "Dad!" met Tony's ears and he finally grinned down at Evelyn. She was frowning, a hand on her hip.

Mrs. Radcliffe shook Tony's hand, her smile still stretched across her face. "It's a pleasure, Mr. Stark. I'm happy you chose our public school for your daughter's education; I hope we don't disappoint." She then turned to Evelyn. "Hi Evelyn, I'm Mrs. Radcliffe. Are you ready for your first day?"

Evelyn shied behind Tony's leg. She looked up at Tony for a moment, as if gaining strength from him, before she stepped out and offered her hand. "Hello Mrs. Radcliffe, I'm Evelyn Stark. It's a pleasure to meet you, and while I'm nervous for the third grade, I'm also very excited."

Mrs. Radcliffe shook Evelyn's hand firmly. "Well, hopefully by the end of the day you'll be just excited! There's a cubby with your name on it for you to place your backpack and lunch box. There is also a desk with your name on it, if you don't mind going and getting ready for class."

Evelyn looked up at Tony before holding her arms open for a hug. Tony stooped down and squeezed Evelyn tightly, suddenly realizing he didn't want to let Evelyn go. "Have a great day, okay sweetie?"

Evelyn hugged Tony tighter. "I will, Daddy. I love you."

Tony held Evelyn at arms-length and smiled. "I love you too, kiddo." He gently kissed her cheek before letting her enter the classroom. Tony turned to Mrs. Radcliffe.

"First time bringing her to school?" The woman was smiling knowingly, as if she could see the fear beginning to enter Tony's heart at the prospect of leaving Evelyn behind.

Tony nodded. "She lived with her mother until a little less than a month ago. Her mother was killed in the terrorist attacks in London."

Mrs. Radcliffe nodded her head solemnly. "Mr. Stark, I will be sure to take good care of her today. I will also be sure that we keep her identity lesser known; I'm sure she'll benefit from being a normal child."

Tony smiled. "She'd appreciate that. Oh! Before I go, she has honors math with the high schoolers. Will somebody be able to walk her?"

"Yes sir, I've already been informed. I'll walk her up at the end of lunch, and one of the students will walk her back after the class has concluded."

Tony nodded before watching Evelyn as she took her seat in a pod of desks, looking shyly at her new classmates. She looked out the door at Tony, before grinning widely. She waved and then turned to the curly haired brunette boy next to her, holding out her hand to introduce herself.

With that, Tony bid goodbye to Mrs. Radcliffe and walked back to the Tower. He wondered if his mother ever felt this way about taking him to school, or if Elise had this feeling the first time she ever took Evelyn to school. It was like he was both proud of Evelyn, and terrified that something bad was going to happen.

He shook his head—this was not the time to be thinking about things going wrong. Tony had other things to worry about; Evelyn was safe at school, and he would be there to pick her up when school ended. Right now, he needed to focus on the custody battle and find a course of action to ensure Evelyn stayed with him.

When Tony entered the common room of the Tower, the others were already sitting talking amongst themselves. They turned and looked at Tony expectantly, causing him to falter at the elevator.

"Alright, that's just scary. Were you all waiting for me?" Tony continued into the kitchen pouring himself a cup of coffee before joining the others on the couches.

"We all received subpoenas this morning from Louise's lawyer. We figured the sooner we got to work on this, the better." Steve said solemnly. "They're coming for all of us."

Tony sighed heavily and nodded. "Okay, so let's start with the obvious things they're going to try to hit. That way I can give it to my lawyers for them to help prepare us all."

Bruce hesitantly raised his hand, fidgeting with his shirt, "Uh…I think I'm the obvious hazard. To most people, having a child live with a giant rage monster is probably not safe for said child."

Natasha shrugged and nodded. "An easy target that will be easy to exploit for a judge. For me and Clint, we're lucky that our professions are secret; the public knows very little about us. However, they may use that secrecy to say that many unknown individuals may be looking for us and will use anything as collateral."

"Our weapons that we keep on us are also dangerous. Knives, guns, bow and arrow—they can make us out to be walking accidents." Clint pointed out from the back of the couch where he was perched.

Eyes turned to Steve, wondering what his big weakness would be. He just shrugged. "Maybe I'd hug her too hard and break her ribs? I honestly don't know what they'd use against me. I'm an Avenger, which is dangerous, but I don't have that many enemies."

Tony snorted. "Hydra?"

Steve deflated. "Oh yeah…Hydra."

"I have enough problems that that lawyer can choose from. Anxiety, PTSD, heart condition, Ironman, Hammer, multi-billion dollar company to run…the list goes on." Tony leaned back into the couch, feeling the weight settling over him. "The only thing we can do is tell the truth."

The Avengers sat in silence for a moment, thinking of all the outcomes facing them. In a few weeks' time, Evelyn could be leaving just as fast as she arrived. It was a hard pill to swallow, but they didn't know what else they could do. Not to mention, that Hydra was still hiding, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Which means the Avengers needed to find them before Evelyn left.

"Any new leads regarding Hydra?" Steve asked, looking at the assembled team.

Tony shook his head, "JARVIS is still running the information Nat and Clint brought back. So far, everything has proven to be outdated and any names have turned up dead ends. I'm meeting with my lawyers this afternoon, but I was planning on taking a look after that."

Steve nodded and stood. "We'll all look through it. The more eyes searching, the better. Let's go team."

With that, the Avengers dispersed, heading to do their own research on Hydra. Tony watched his friends leave the common room and couldn't feel more gratitude towards them. He turned and headed down to the SI Office floors where his attorneys would be arriving soon.

* * *

Evelyn walked into the lunch room with all of her classmates, following like a duckling. She clutched her lunch box in her hand tightly and followed her teacher to their designated table. Only Peter, the curly haired brunette boy who sat next to her in class, brought his lunch too. They were the first two to sit down and the opened their lunch boxes.

"What did you bring?" Peter asked excitedly, a smile plastered across his face. "My Aunt May made me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and packed some chips and carrot sticks."

Evelyn opened her lunch and inspected it. "Uncle Clint packed me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich too! I also have an apple and a pudding cup."

Peter tilted his head curiously, "You live with your Aunt and Uncle too?"

Evelyn smiled and nodded. "Yeah! I live with my daddy, my three uncles, my aunt, and Ms. Pepper. I have a big family."

"Oh," Peter looked down sadly, "I have a small family. I live with my Aunt May and Uncle Ben. It's just us."

"Small families are cool too!" Evelyn immediately felt bad for making Peter sad. "I used to live with my mommy—just two of us. I would see my grandma, but usually it was just me and Mommy."

Peter took a bite of his sandwich contemplatively. He chewed as he watched Evelyn. "Did your mommy and daddy have a divorce? You didn't say that you lived with your mommy now."

Evelyn's shoulders sagged and her heart rate picked up. She stopped eating her sandwich and shook her head at Peter. "My mommy died…I just moved here to live with my daddy."

Peter watched Evelyn fight back her tears and felt bad. His parents had died too, and he remembers how lonely and heavy it felt. He leaned over and gave Evelyn a hug. It was a gentle, warm hug that Evelyn felt grateful for. She hugged Peter back and smiled at him to indicate she appreciated his hug.

"Thank you, Peter." Evelyn smiled. "You're really nice."

Peter blushed and stuttered, "O-oh, we-well…thanks. I just know how it feels to lose a parent…and I wanted to make you smile."

Evelyn held out her hand, just as she had earlier that morning, "Peter, would you like to be my friend?"

Peter's eyes widened and he looked at the hand outstretched too him in shock, "You…want to be my friend?"

"That's what I said, doofus." Evelyn smirked teasingly.

Peter smiled back, "I'd love to be your friend, Evie."

Evelyn gave Peter a wide smile. She was excited to be able to tell her daddy that she made a friend. She couldn't wait to tell her family about her wonderful day at school.

* * *

Tony stood outside the school and waited for the bell to ring. As he waited, he thought back to the meeting he had with his attorneys that morning.

"_Mr. Stark, as you already know, Louise Johnson is suing for custody under grounds that you are an unfit father and that her new environment is not safe." Layla Brooks spoke first. She was a tall woman with jet-black hair and honey colored eyes. The uncommon combination of black hair and brown eyes made her more intimidating than typical attorneys, especially when you considered her height._

_Tony nodded as his second attorney, Jason Peterson—the best family law attorney in New York City—spoke. "Typically, these cases progress in a series of stages. There's a hearing where the judge asks if the two parties would like to arbitrate a visitation deal or if a trial should progress. If they want to go forward with a trial, we have discovery. Then there's the actual trial which actually functions more as an evidence-gathering hearing, and then, finally, there is the judge's decision. This will not have a jury, but you will always have attorney's present." Jason paused and then continued, "However, given that Mr. Wallace has insisted on taking this to trial and the allegations are considered by the state as immediate, we will be skipping the first stages."_

"_Mr. Peterson and I have decided that we will co-represent both you and the other subpoenaed Avengers. Mr. Peterson will primarily aid in understanding the New York family laws and I will protect the Avengers in keeping their jobs and lives as private as possible."_

_Tony studied his attorneys before he spoke, "Will Evelyn have to be present for any part of this?"_

_Jason and Layla shared a look, a silent conversation occurring with only shoulder shrugs and eyebrow raises. Jason finally turned to Tony and answered him, "Evelyn will need to be present, but typically the child is held in a separate space unless he or she is requested by an attorney."_

"_What is your recommendation for this particular case?" _

_Jason titled his head, as if contemplating his answer heavily. "Well, with children this young, the state law does not take their desire into account. For example, if Evelyn expresses she wants to stay with you, the judge cannot take that into account because to the state, she is too young to independently have that opinion." Tony sighed heavily but Jason continued, "However, her IQ is much higher than other children, indicating that she is capable of making that decision on her own. I would like to petition that she testifies on where she would like to stay, but only with parental consent."_

"_Do it." Tony stated. "Her mother wanted her here, and she wants to be here. I want everyone to know that."_

A shrill ringing brought Tony back to the present where he saw students streaming out of the school. He watched, looking for brunette pigtail braids and a bright smile. He finally caught sight of her walking down the stairs, talking animatedly to a boy the same size as her. He was grinning and giggling with Evelyn, shaking his head at her. Tony crossed the street and Evelyn sprinted to him, leaving Peter behind.

"Daddy! I had so much fun! And I made a friend, look!" Evelyn grabbed Tony's hand and pulled him to where a stunned Peter Parker stood, staring at Tony. "Daddy, this is Peter Parker, he sits next to me in class and he's really nice. Peter, this is my daddy!"

Peter's mouth hung open as he stared at Tony, his arms hung limply at his sides and his eyes pinballed between Evelyn and Tony. "Y-you're…you're…Tony…Stark?"

Tony gave a small smile at the kid and knelt down to their height. He held out his hand, "That's me kid. It's nice to meet you."

Peter stared at the hand in shock, reaching out tentatively. "Oh, we've met before. I was at the Stark Expo when Mr. Hammer attacked. I shot a robot before it got you." Peter suddenly realized what he said and his face turned bright red. "I mean—"

"Peter Benjamin Parker! What have I told you about talking to strangers?" A flustered woman ran up to the small group, fear dominating her face as she placed a hand on Peter's shoulder firmly.

Peter looked up quickly, "I'm sorry Aunt May, but my friend was introducing me to her daddy, and I didn't see you yet, so I thought it was okay and I didn't mean to scare you. I'm sorry." Peter twisted the bottom of his shirt nervously.

Tony stood up, Evelyn by his side. He extended his hand to this "Aunt May." "Pleasure to meet you Mrs. Parker, I'm Evelyn's father. She was just telling me about how nice Peter was to her today. He's a very polite young man."

May Parker looked over Tony Stark, shock running through her brain. She didn't know how to feel about this apparent friendship between her nephew and Tony's daughter, but she looked down and saw that Peter and Evelyn had gone back to conversing. He was grinning ear to ear, laughing at whatever Evelyn was saying.

May finally shook Tony's hand. "It's a pleasure Mr. Stark. I'm glad Peter remembered his manners, and it seems he's found a good friend in your daughter."

"She was originally worried she wouldn't make any friends today." Tony commented, watching as May nodded her head.

"Peter as well. He got accepted to this school because of his high marks in math and science. We actually live in Queens, so it's a bit of a train ride." May sighed tiredly, to which Tony finally noticed her waitressing uniform that was smudged with grease stains.

"Would it be helpful if Peter came and stayed with us until you got here? To give you more time to get here without worrying about him? We're only about three blocks away, it's no trouble at all." Tony offered.

May smiled at Tony but shook her head. "I appreciate it, really, but I like picking him up from school. It's the bright part of my day."

Tony nodded, "Well, I'll be happy to wait outside with him then until you get here. That way you don't have to worry about him talking to stranger." Tony paused and looked down at Evelyn and catching her eye and spoke once more, "I think we'll be off. Her uncles are eager to know how her first day went, and I imagine she has some math homework. It was a pleasure Mrs. Parker; if you or Peter ever need anything, please do not hesitate to call." Tony handed over a business card where he scribbled down his personal cell phone number.

May Parker took the card and pocketed it. "Thank you, Mr. Stark. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon. Peter, come on honey, it's time to go home. If we get there before Uncle Ben, we get to pick dinner."

Peter grinned at Aunt May. "Okay Aunt May! Bye Evie, I'll see you tomorrow. Don't forget to bring a show and tell item for class!" Peter lunged forward wrapping Evelyn in a big hug, making the girl giggle. She squeezed him back tightly.

"Bye Petey, I had a lot of fun today. Have a safe trip home." Evelyn pulled away and grinned at Peter before stepping up to Tony's side and gripping his hand. "Ready Daddy?"

Tony grinned down at Evelyn. "Ready, Princess." And the two set off, chattering away about how the first day of school had gone.

**_Don't forget to drop a review! ~Writer-at-Heart0_**


	11. Chapter Ten

**Chapter Ten**

After another couple weeks of school, it was Evelyn's eighth birthday. It would be her first birthday without her mother, and Tony desperately wanted it to be a good experience. He'd made sure to invite Louise and Evelyn's whole class. May and Ben Parker had also been given a special invitation with Peter for a private family dinner at the Tower the night before the party. It had been a nice affair, and Peter and Evelyn had run around the living room playing games all night. Louise had even been polite despite her normal penchant to undercut Tony at every turn. Now all they had to do was make it through the actual birthday party.

The Avengers had carted some folding tables and tons of food down to the park a few blocks from the Tower. The weather was just starting to cool but wasn't cold yet. It was perfect for an outdoor party. The sky was bright blue above, with white fluffy clouds and the breeze was soft. Under this blue sky, the Avengers set up the tables and laid out the food. Then a couple more trips were made to the Tower were some presents were brought out to be set on one of the tables, and some sports equipment was set out for the kids to play with if they wanted.

Evelyn was eating some chips at the snack table and watching the adults finish setting up. She was excited for her first birthday in America, but she still felt like there was something missing. Every time someone entered the park, she looked up hopefully, waiting to see the one person who should be there, but wasn't. Evelyn wished her mom could be there to celebrate with her, and she kept hoping that maybe she would come around the corner. But Evelyn never saw her.

"Alright Princess, what do you think?" Tony broke Evelyn out of her thoughts by scooping her up and turning her in a quick circle. "Nothing too fancy, but we still got all of the essentials."

Evelyn grinned at her dad, squeezing him briefly around the neck, "It's perfect Daddy! It'll be even better when all my classmates get here."

Tony noticed that Evelyn didn't refer to them as friends, but he knew for sure that Peter would be there, and hopefully the other kids would be kind enough to show up. Before he could dwell on it any longer, a familiar voice shouted from the park gate.

"Evie!" Tony turned, Evelyn next to him, and saw Peter Parker sprinting as fast as his legs could take him across the park. Behind him, Aunt May and Uncle Ben followed, holding a small wrapped package and card. Peter finally made it to Tony and Evelyn and grabbed his best friend in a tight hug. "Happy Birthday again! I know I saw you last night, but I'm really excited to celebrate your birthday here with our class and play games. And I got your present today since I forgot it yesterday. I can't wait for you to open it!"

Evelyn squeezed Peter back after he'd finished talking. "Thanks Peter! Do you wanna grab a snack while we wait on everyone else?"

Peter nodded and the two kids were off, rifling through the food table while May, Ben, and Tony caught up.

"Long time, no see," Tony joked shaking Ben and May's hands. "Thanks for coming back out here today, I know it's not a short journey."

Ben chuckled warmly, pointing at the two kids at the snack table, "Anything to see those two smiling faces. They don't even seem to know the rest of us are here sometimes."

"They've definitely become quick friends in the last few weeks." May grinned cheekily at Tony. "You better watch out, they may get married one day."

Tony knew May was joking, but he still felt a protective fire in his stomach. His baby wouldn't date until she was thirty. No, forty! She'll stay home and be protected by the Avengers from all men. Tony didn't realize how silent he'd been until May laughed and waved a hand in his face.

"I'm just kidding, Tony! I don't know where life will take those geniuses." May gave a genuine smile then. "But I do hope they stay friends, they're really good for each other."

"Who's really good for each other?" Pepper wrapped an arm around Tony's waist. "Tony, what's wrong? You look like you just ate a Pop-Tart."

Steve chose that moment to walk up, some of the other Avengers trailing him like ducklings, preventing Tony from answering Pepper. "Hi May, Ben! It's nice to see you both again. Did you have a safe trip into the city?"

As the adults spoke about adult things, more and more kids started arriving with their parents. Tony turned on some kid friendly music and the party really began to take off. Kids played on the playground and started up some soccer games. There were excited screams and hollers echoing all around the adults that hung around the tables. Kids would run up for snacks or water and then quickly turn around and bolt back to the playing field.

An hour into the party, ten large pizzas arrived and the kids took a break from the horseplay to eat. They collapsed in the grass with plates heaped with pizza, chips, and some sugary treats. Evelyn sat directly next to Peter, but the two of them were slightly separated from the other kids who were clustered in a loose circle.

Tony frowned at the distinct separation between his daughter and her best friend, but the other parents didn't seem to have a problem. Tony leaned over to Bruce, who was standing next to him, and motioned towards Evelyn and Peter.

"Is it strange that those two are sitting away from the rest of the kids?" Tony asked with concern.

Bruce followed Tony's gaze and scrutinized the situation. "I don't know, kids are strange. What do you think?"

Tony's frown deepened, but before he could say anything, the kids seemed to come alive. They rose to their feet, shouting about some sort of extreme game of tag. Evelyn and Peter were the last to join. And that was when Bruce and Tony witnessed just why Peter and Evelyn sat separated from the other kids.

* * *

Evelyn and Peter looked up as Flash suggested that the group should play tag. The group quickly stood up and began shouting excitedly, suggesting outlandish rules to make the game more entertaining. They threw their paper plates away and sprinted to the open field, waiting for the game to begin. Evelyn and Peter also sprinted over to begin the game.

Evelyn grinned at the gathered group of kids, shifting from foot to foot eagerly, "Who is going to be It first? I'm the birthday girl, so it can't be me." She giggled mischievously at her classmates.

"Puny Parker can be It!" Flash smiled nastily, shoving Peter from behind into the ground. Peter hit the ground hard, face first into the grass. The other kids laughed at Peter, not offering to help him up. Evelyn, however, turned a fiery glare to Flash.

She marched right up to the boy. Flash was a head taller than Evelyn and he outweighed her for sure. Evelyn pulled her hands back and gave Flash a mighty shove, stopping the other kids from their laughter as Flash stumbled backwards.

"That's mean to call Peter names, and it's really mean to shove him into the grass." Evelyn's voice was hard as steel as she glared at Flash. "I don't want bullies at my birthday party." She turned and looked at the other kids in her class. "It's also not nice for all of you to be standing there uselessly and to laugh at Peter getting hurt."

Evelyn finally walked over and helped her best friend off the ground. She brushed her hands over his shirt, attempting to remove some of the dirt and grass from his red shirt. Once she'd looked over her friend thoroughly and ensured her was okay, Evelyn faced her classmates, who were starting to go do their own thing.

"I don't want to see anyone else picking on anyone. We're all friends, and we shouldn't bully others. I will ask you to go home if you want to be mean to Peter, or any other kid here."

Flash snorted, walking towards his parents. "I don't want to be at a lame party for a little girl and her puny boyfriend. I'm asking my parents if we can leave. See you in class, Evie." Flash said her name like it was a disease and then found his parents. The boy spoke quickly to his parents before heading towards the park exit.

Other kids soon followed, all of them slowly trickling away from the party. Apparently if Flash deemed something lame, the other kids didn't want to be a part of it. The Avengers watched in confusion as kids and parents left prior to the cake being cut and handed out. However, Evelyn and Peter didn't seem to care. They went on playing on the playground and inventing their own games. They were unconcerned with the fact that all the other kids had left.

Louise gave Tony a satisfied smirk, pleased that he had failed to give Evelyn a proper birthday party. But before anything snide could be said, Evelyn and Peter's laughter reached their ears. Louise and Tony turned as one, watching as the two did cartwheels in the grass, flopping on their backs and laughing. Tony turned back to Louise.

"As long as my little girl is happy and laughing on her birthday, it's a success." Tony gestured towards the park entrance where parents were leaving. "I don't think you'd want Evelyn to be friends with bullies, and if those kids want to bully Peter, they can leave. I don't want them here." Louise looked dumbfounded as Tony turned away and called out to the kids to come eat cake.

Pepper watched the exchange from her spot by the snack table and shared a look with Natasha, who also saw Tony shut down Louise. The two knew that it was a big step for Tony to be so assertive over his daughter. They were silently very proud of him for accepting his fatherly role so completely. He really was a great dad.

Tony lit eight small candles as the Avengers, Pepper, Ben, May, Peter, and Louise all sang to Evelyn. She grinned the whole time and laughed out loud when Peter would add "cha cha cha" in-between the verses. Finally, it was time to blow out the candles. Evelyn closed her eyes, nose scrunching slightly and brows furrowing as she thought about her wish. She finally opened her eyes and blew out her candles; Tony filmed the whole thing, automatically sending it to all the Avengers' phones.

The group of adults and two kids settled into the grass and ate cake together, chatting pleasantly. As Evelyn got up to get another piece, Clint got up behind her stealthily. He'd promised to get her back for her sass, and now seemed like the perfect time.

He edged up behind the girl as she stared at the cake. He reached up to shove her plate full of cake into her face and succeeded! The young girl squealed and dropped her plate. Clint cackled in glee, holding his sides tightly and Evelyn breathed in deep before turning towards Clint slowly.

"CLINT!" The girl screamed and stuck her full hand into the cake, pulling some away, and lunged at the archer, smushing her hand into his hair.

The archer stopped laughing to gasp in surprise, looking at Evelyn in shock. Her face was caked (pun fully intended) in icing; it was hard to see her facial features, but Clint knew she wasn't finished yet. She reached for the cake yet again and Clint ran off, spotting a nearby tree to scurry up.

As Clint ran off, Evelyn turned to look at the other Avengers. Most of them had frozen in place once Clint had made his move. Evelyn thought it was comical: Steve had a fork halfway to his mouth, Bruce's mouth was hanging open, and Natasha was smiling mischievously, her eyebrow quirked up. Peter was laughing in the grass hysterically, tears streaming down his face.

Peter became Evelyn's new target.

She stalked forward slowly, cake still held in her hand, "You think this is funny, Peter Benjamin Parker? I'll show you what's really funny." The girl tackled Peter who'd been halfway to his feet and smeared the cake in his face.

He howled in laughter. Tony and May locked eyes, wondering if they should reprimand the kids.

"May, I'm so sorry, I'm sure we have a spare-" Tony never finished his sentence because Evelyn and Peter came and tipped his plate into his face, icing him as well. From the top of a nearby tree, Clint cackled again, a snort echoing from the leaves.

Bruce also laughed but tried to hastily cover it up. Tony wiped some icing from his eyes and looked at the culprits. The two were grinning, covered in green icing and cake bits. They pointed to Steve in unison and ran to the cake table. Tony scrambled to his feet and tackled Steve to the ground, allowing the two kids to smear cake on the super-soldier.

Everything devolved into chaos from there. The kids smeared cake on every adult they could and then the adults turned on the kids. No one was spared. Natasha has cake in her hair, the green and red making her look like a bad Christmas advertisement. Bruce had cake all over his arms and hands, making it impossible for him to adjust his glasses. Steve's blonde hair was stained green and his jeans were ruined.

Pepper, May, Ben, and Louise had taken refuge with the presents, claiming they were protecting them from harm. The others tried to cake them, but they stayed far away when Pepper glared at them, her warning clear. Finally, when Evelyn and Peter and wrestled Clint to the ground (with held from Steve and Natasha removing him from the tree), the group stopped chasing each other. The sun was beginning to set, the sky was turning fiery—orange, red, and yellow. They'd spent the whole day laughing and playing. Evelyn grinned at her family sprawled across the ground, gazing at the sitting sun through the city skyline.

"This has been the best birthday ever," she exclaimed before giggling. "Daddy, you look ridiculous."

Tony shot his daughter a soft glare, scraping some cake from his goatee. "Gee, I wonder I ended up looking like this."

"You were born." Peter's voice was both sincere and facetious. His comment tipped the adults into full guffaws, Clint even snorted again. But May Parker didn't laugh.

"Peter, that's rude to say to an adult." May and Ben both fixed Peter with a stare, indicating he should apologize. The boy's face turned bright red, all the way to the tips of his ears.

He turned towards Tony, head hung low. He was ready to apologize, but Tony stopped him.

"No need to apologize, that was a good one. I left it wide open." Tony looked at May and Ben sincerely. "Really, it's okay. That's how we talk at home all the time; no disrespect was felt."

Pepper chimed in from where she was cleaning up, "Plus it's true!" Tony glared at the woman who gave him a cheeky grin and went back to what she was doing.

No one could disagree with Tony's words though, shrugging or nodding to show the Parkers that Peter hadn't overstepped the boundaries. May looked at Ben for a moment, who still had a smile on his face from the joke. "I think it was well timed."

May rolled her eyes but finally smiled. "Alright, but you can only do that at Mr. Stark's, okay Peter?" The boy nodded furiously. "Well, I think it's about time we head back to Queens. It'll be late when we get back."

Peter's face fell, and he looked morosely at Evelyn. His voice was whining and high, "Do we hafta go? I wanna stay and play with Evie."

"Come on buddy, you'll see her on Monday. You've seen her a lot this weekend." Ben smiled kindly at the boy. "Let's get one more picture before we say goodbye, yeah?"

Peter studied Ben for a few seconds before nodding and grabbing Evelyn's hand. "One more picture before we hit the road?"

Evelyn nodded and grabbed Peter around the neck. The two kids squished their faces cheek-to-cheek and gave big smiles. They were covered in cake and filthy, but their bright smiles shone in the light of the sunset. Ben snapped his camera and turned to the Avengers.

"Group shot?" Tony shrugged and nodded, the others following his lead.

Clint scooped Evelyn up onto his back and Natasha lifted Peter onto hers. Louise squeezed into the back while Tony and Steve stretched out in the grass, their heads towards the middle. May and Pepper stood next to Louise in the back. Bruce kneeled between Clint and Natasha. Ben snapped a few photos and the group dispersed.

"Bye Evie!" Peter hugged his friend once more. "Happy Birthday! Let me know how you like your present!"

Evelyn smiled shyly. "Thanks Peter. I'll see you on Monday; I can't wait to open your present." Then Evelyn darted forward and kissed Peter on the cheek. She turned and sprinted towards Bruce at the present table and began helping him put the presents into boxes to be carried back to the Tower.

Peter's eyes widened and he looked over shoulder to see if May, Ben, and Tony had seen the exchange. Sure enough, Tony was frowning while May and Ben were smirking evilly. Peter knew his aunt and uncle would never let this go. But Peter was more afraid of Tony. Peter approached his aunt and uncle, face growing hotter and redder the closer he got to the adults.

"Thanks for the invite to the party, Mr. Stark! See you next time, bye!" The little boy who had wanted to stay forever was now dragging his aunt and uncle away from the park. A badly out of tune rendition of "Peter and Evelyn, sitting in a tree" made it to Tony's ears as the Parkers left.

Tony could admit that it was a wild ride, but that it was definitely one of his favorite days with Evelyn so far. He grabbed the remaining presents that needed to be transferred to the Tower and followed his family home. Today had been the best day of Tony's life.

**_Let me know how you like it so far! We're quickly approaching the trial chapter, which is taking the longest to write. I'd like to hear your thoughts on what you think will happen next! ~Writer-at-Heart0_**


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Chapter Eleven**

_**Please drop some reviews! I'm interested in your thoughts. Next chapter starts the trial, so I hope you're excited!**_

The next few weeks went by quickly, and before the Avengers knew it, it was October. The trial had been set for the second week of October, and the trial was tomorrow. With each passing day, the energy in the Tower had grown heavier and darker, mimicking the weight of the cold air beginning to settle over the city. Tony began to be more wrapped up in his work, frequently forgetting to eat and setting up more meetings with his attorneys. The other Avengers noticed the tense way Tony held his shoulders and the way he would fall into long periods of silence where he would be reading on his StarkPad, preparing for the court appearance.

Evelyn, thankfully, had been spared from feeling the tension as much as her new family. Her birthday celebration two weeks ago had served as a good distraction to protect her from the Tower's gloomy atmosphere. She was enjoying her days at school with Peter and was progressing nicely in math. She received top marks on her school work and was over the moon about it.

Her friendship with Peter had blossomed into a close kinship; the two were inseparable at school except for her math class. They decided that they should find something outside of school to do together, and Aunt May and Tony had obliged by setting up a few playdates in the city and Queens.

However, Tony had confided in Aunt May the predicament he was in after the kids had suggested joining a soccer team or doing gymnastics together. He honestly didn't know if his daughter would be there long enough to get involved in an extracurricular with her friend. Tony had waited for the judgement from May, for her to confirm Louise's concerns about Tony, but May Parker was entirely empathetic.

"I see the way that little girl looks at you; there's no doubt in my mind that she loves you," May's gaze was trained on the kids playing across the park in a pile of leaves. Currently they were trying to bury each other and lay as still as possible. "It would be a mistake to pull her away from all of this. I've seen what it can do to a kid, the sudden changes in their lives. You've done well with acclimating Evelyn."

Tony appreciated her kind words, and he appreciated his team that tried to make things easier for him. But as each day ticked down to the court date, Tony felt as if Evelyn's days were trickling away from him, leaving him feeling empty. Each hug he gave her seemed to be tighter than the last, and he found himself pleading with some higher power that he could continue giving her hugs. He'd never wanted anything more in his life, and he was terrified of the outcome.

"Tony…earth to Tony…Tony!" Clint, having been trying to get Tony's attention for ten minutes, finally shook the man. "Hey, come on, it's family game night. Evelyn's been setting up Uno while we were doing dishes."

Tony shook his head slightly and got to his feet to move back to the table, "Thanks, sorry about that. I spaced out for a bit."

Clint laid a hand on Tony's shoulder, "It's understandable with the court date being tomorrow. But don't worry about that now! Worry about how many cards you're about to draw."

Tony returned Clint's grin and grabbed a chair next to Evelyn. She was happily dealing out cards to her favorite game and smiled at her dad as he sat down.

"Hi Daddy! Thank you for helping Uncle Clint with the dishes." Evelyn dropped another card on Clint's pile, "If we left him alone to do it, they'd just be left in the sink."

Clint scoffed as Natasha chuckled. She arranged her cards before adding her own two cents, "Clint is a slob, so he needs to be supervised when he cleans."

"I am not! If it weren't for me, you people would starve." Clint grumped, slinking down in his chair. He angrily shuffled his cards in his hands, glaring teasingly at Evelyn across the table.

Tony observed the group as the game began. Bruce sat on Evelyn's other side, and Tony noticed how relaxed the man looked, his forehead was smooth instead of scrunched with anxiousness. His glasses sat perched at the end of his nose so he could see his cards, and when he would look at Evelyn, Tony saw the genuine happiness in Bruce's eyes. The happiness that comes from unconditional acceptance. He'd seen them many afternoons across the lab, working on her math homework. Bruce would take time to explain the concept and allow Evelyn to try it before she attempted to teach it back to him. Bruce spent those afternoons grinning and laughing, seemingly weightless with the little girl.

On Bruce's side was Natasha, the woman who until a month and a half ago only smiled when it benefitted her mission. Now Natasha always had a warm, tender smile that Tony was almost sure was a ploy until one day he'd heard Natasha and Evelyn talking in Evelyn's bathroom. Tony had walked by to hear the spy explaining slowly how to do braids, and when he peaked into the bathroom, Tony saw Natasha sitting on a chair instructing Evelyn, who was following the instructions perfectly. Natasha had that smile on for Evelyn, praising her as she accomplished another braid.

In between Clint and Natasha was Steve, who had filled an interesting role for Evelyn. It wasn't really brotherly, like Clint, uncle-y like Bruce, but almost…grandfatherly. Steve would take Evelyn out for an ice cream cone on the days he picked her up from school; he would tell her old war stories in his favorite chair overlooking the city. Tony had even watched Evelyn and Steve practice dancing to 1940's big band swing music when they thought they were alone. Evelyn lived for his old stories and his history lessons, attentive and asking questions when appropriate. Steve had found someone who was willing to engage with his old timey ways, and it warmed his heart.

Finally, there was Clint. The older brother Evelyn most definitely did not need but had turned out to be a true blessing. He joked and played with Evelyn in a youthful manner that some of the other occupants of the Tower just couldn't pull off. Not to mention, he was always there when Evelyn got home to teach her how to cook a new food, usually small snacks that she could make on her own if he was ever gone. Tony couldn't pinpoint exactly what Evelyn had done for Clint, but the word he chose was "fulfill." Evelyn had filled Clint with something that he hadn't been able to receive from the team.

Evelyn dropped a Wild Draw Four card in front of Tony, an evil smirk on her face as he prevented him from going out, "Green."

Clint groaned and glared at Evelyn from across the table as Tony picked his cards, "Green?! Are you kidding me? That's the worst color!"

Bruce looked offended and Evelyn did as well. "Excuse me, Birdbrain, but green is an excellent color! Just ask Uncle Bruce and Hulk!"

"That's Uncle Birdbrain to you, missy!" Clint grumped as he drew a card instead of playing. Evelyn stuck her tongue out at Clint, which he returned snootily.

Steve quickly played a simple green card, avoiding looking at Clint. "Someone needs to remember that this is meant to be a fun game." Steve then coughed poorly, muttered "Clint" very loudly, and coughed again.

Natasha chuckled and played a green card, "Uno." She said calmly, looking at Bruce. "Your turn, big guy."

Bruce had three cards left, and he looked around the table anxiously. He could make Evelyn draw and change the color, play a card, or reverse the game back towards Natasha and hope she didn't have a green card. He finally sucked in a breath and laid down a Wild Draw Four card. "Sorry Evie. Color is red."

Evelyn looked completely affronted as she drew her cards. She glared softly at Bruce as she settled back into her seat. As Tony was about to lay down a Draw Two card on Clint, JARVIS broke the silence.

"Sir, Louise Johnson is requesting access to the common floor." The British voice floated across the room, and Evelyn looked at her dad confused.

"Daddy, aren't we supposed to be seeing Grandma and Mr. Wallace tomorrow at court?"

Tony raised an eyebrow before waving his hand dismissively, pointedly ignoring Evelyn's question. "Let her in, J. It's cold outside."

The elevator dinged soon after those words were said, and in stepped Louise. She took off her hat and grinned at Evelyn. "There's my granddaughter! How are you sweetie?"

Evelyn smiled, but didn't sprint as fast as she normally did towards her grandmother. She set her cards carefully face-down on the table and walked into her grandmother's waiting arms. "I'm good, Grandma. I just got my math exam back yesterday! I got a 95, and Daddy put it on the refrigerator, so everyone can see it. Do you want to see it?"

"That's fantastic honey! I'm so proud of you!" Evelyn was engulfed in another hug. "I actually came to speak to your father about some things. Shouldn't take long; why don't you go play that game with your father's work associates?"

Evelyn frowned at her grandmother's choice of words, but she didn't say anything. She nodded and turned around before loudly asking, "Uncle Bruce! Uncle Clint! Auntie Natasha! Uncle Steve! Will you play another game of Uno with me before bedtime, please? Daddy wants me to go to bed early tonight so I'm well rested."

Tony watched how Louise's mouth tightened when Evelyn called the Avengers aunt and uncles. He smirked at his daughter's clever subordination. He'd have to remember to tell Pepper about it tonight.

"Louise, you wanted to speak to me about something?" Tony led Louise down into the living room, away from the dining room table.

Louise stood rigidly across from Tony, as if his very presence brought her the same amount of displeasure as a dog who poops on the floor. "Mr. Stark, I just wanted to remind you that you should probably have a bag packed for Evelyn so she can leave without needing to return here. I'm afraid that if she's allowed to return here, she will never leave, and I can't have that."

Tony glared directly into Louise's eye, hoping to make her uncomfortable with his increased eye contact. "I will not do anything prematurely. We have a judge who will decide what is best for Evelyn. And that may be keeping her with her biological father."

Louise chuckled and glanced at Evelyn seated at the table. She was curled on top of her knees, leaning against the table to play a card. "What's best for that child is for her to grow up with her grandmother, who has known her since she was born. She should continue to be raised in her country of origin, with children who understand her. Don't think I don't know about her one, and only, friend at school. How another child ostracizes her because of that boy. It was clear as day at that catastrophe you call a birthday party; it is unacceptable."

Tony's mouth was slack with disbelief. "Do you truly and honestly believe that moving her from New York is the best thing to do? She's happy, healthy, and she is well protected! If she leaves here, she'll be living a life of risk."

"Then maybe you shouldn't have plastered her face across live television when you announced to the world that she was your illegitimate child." Louise raised an eyebrow disapprovingly at Tony, "You are not fit to raise that little girl, and when the courts of _your _country prove that, I hope you know that it was known by the whole world first."

Tony was seething, his hands shaking and jaw clenched. He wanted to lash out, to shout that he was better than Howard at raising a child, that he could do right by his daughter. But he held it together and tightly said, "I think we're done here. Please leave. We'll see you tomorrow."

"Enjoy your last night with Evelyn," Louise said venomously before turning towards the table. "Evelyn, sweetie, I'm leaving for the night. Come give Grandma a hug."

Evelyn obliged and hugged Louise. "Bye Grandma, travel safely back to your hotel. I'll see you tomorrow!"

With that, Louise was gone, enveloped in the elevator. Evelyn turned to look at her father and she cocked her head to the side slightly and squinted her eyes. "Daddy? Is everything okay?"

Tony met Evelyn's eyes—the same shade of brown as his. He took in the image of his daughter, the little girl he'd come to know and love during this month and half. He couldn't bear the thought of losing her, a literal piece of himself. He couldn't burden her with his thoughts, so he decided to avoid the subject.

"It's fine sweetheart, she was just making sure everything was set for tomorrow." He checked his watch, seeing that it was nearing 9:00pm. "Alright honey, why don't you go get ready for bed and I'll be in soon to tuck you in, okay?"

Evelyn studied her father a little while longer, her lips pulling down angrily. She simply nodded and turned towards the hallway that would take her to her room. She closed her door with a sharp click, leaving the Avengers to put away the card game.

"That's the worst I've ever seen you lie, Stark." Natasha commented as she picked up her water glass. "What did she say to you?"

Tony scrubbed a hand down his face, sighing. "Nothing I haven't heard before. She said I should have Evelyn's things packed tonight so that after tomorrow they can be ready to leave without Evelyn needing to come back here."

"That's horseshit!" Clint exclaimed, slapping his hands on the table loudly. His voice was angry and pinched, "She can't do that! Even if they say Evelyn has to go with Louise, they still have to allow her to come back here and get her things!"

Tony shrugged helplessly and sank into his chair morosely. He leaned his head forward in his hand, staring at the table top where his cards were still scattered in front of him. When he was a kid, only Jarvis played games with him. He hadn't had a large family style game like this until Evelyn asked to have a game night once a week. He thought he'd hate the simple Uno game, but as it turns out, he enjoyed the peaceful fun the game gave him. Would this be the last time he played the game ever? Or any game? His chest began to tighten painfully.

"Tony." Steve's voice was gentle and caring. "You have to trust that the court will agree with us. She's happy here and adjusting well. They'll see that and agree she should stay with us. Just have some faith."

Bruce placed his hand on Tony's shoulder, "Steve's right. We're all here for you, and we're witnesses to her growth while being here. They can't deny that."

Tony looked up at his friends. They were all giving him determined expressions, letting him know that by this time tomorrow, Evelyn would be right back here in the Tower. She would keep going to school with Peter and they'd join that soccer team they wanted to join. He gave his friend a tired smile and got to his feet.

"I'll see you all in the morning. Remember, dress the part and don't be late. We don't need to give Mr. Wallace any reasons to convince the judge we're dangerous or unfit."

The team nodded, and Tony went down the hallway to tuck Evelyn in. He opened the door quietly and saw her sitting on her bed, staring at the windows overlooking the city. Tony walked in quietly and took a seat next to his daughter. The lights from the city created patterns on her carpet and illuminated her eyes. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"You should go to bed, Princess." He kissed the top of her head, taking in the scent of her strawberry shampoo.

Evelyn shrugged, not answering her dad. She leaned into his side instead, sighing out a puff of air. She shook her head quickly and then wrapped her dad in a hug, holding him tightly. "I—don't, don't w-want to g-g-go, Daddy."

The sob cascaded from his daughter in a crash, drowning his heart and suffocating him. He couldn't breathe as his daughter cried, stating how badly she wanted to stay with him. He must have moved on autopilot, because he doesn't remember scooping her up and walking to his bedroom. He doesn't remember rocking her like an infant, telling her it would be alright, that daddy was going to make it all better.

Tony definitely doesn't remember climbing into his bed, tucking Evelyn in right in-between Pepper and him, cocooning her in warmth and safety. Tony and Evelyn clung tightly together, refusing to let the other go, even in sleep.


End file.
